The Adventures and Trouble of a Thief
by Wuchen 5
Summary: An AU. In a land where there is a battle over power, Millie, a young thief, is caught in between. When she and her gang, the Lily 5, is accused of a crime they didn't commit, Millie joins up with a young detective to prove her innocence and free her gang.
1. Introduction to Trouble

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, this is merely fan made. All rights belong to the appropriate people.**

This will be a Shaman King fanfic, featuring Millie and Lyserg as a couple, because honestly we hate Jeanne, so don't read if you don't like.

If anyone seen that anime, cause I refuse to read the manga, Lyserg is a jerk who is overly obsessed with Zeke/Hao and Jeanne is no better. But I was touched by Millie's feelings for him despite him shoving her off, and I want to do her some justice along with the Lily 5. Even if her affections were probably merely a crush she really cared for Lyserg. Ah unrequited love, a beautiful concept.

This would be an AU, alternate universe, but I'll try to keep some concepts the same from the original Shaman King Series. I guess we can assume the characters are going to be slightly out of character, but that's why it's an AU.

Here's a little background on the setting, so I would read it so you won't be confused:

* * *

In a place where there are constant clashes between the Government and criminals fighting for control and order of the land.

The Government's security is run by the oppressive organization called the X-Laws, while a criminal syndicate known as the HAO threatens the Capitol. A rebel group formed underground known as the Rebellion is stuck in between, made mostly of misfits who despise both the X-Laws and the HAO's and call for reform.

The capital lies in the center of a land fueled by both magic and technology, one side deemed the Capitol and surrounding it is the Slums. The Capitol consists of a rich metropolis with its outskirts having middle to high-class homes. The Slums is the area of the city that contains the lower class, people oppressed, shady businesses, conflicts among gangs, and a surprisingly well organized underground Black Market.

The Slums also became a battlefield where a young man named Zeke came to control; he practically controls the Slums and desires to conquer the Capitol and the rest of the world. With his charismatic skills he rises from obscurity bend on greed, hate, and power to create his criminal organization, dubbed HAO, terrorizing people and running illegal operations. The X-Laws are the country's form of security, but their zealous devotion and methods of law enforcing are brutal and no better than the HAO Organization's oppression.

Two extremes on both sides clash often, the innocent dying in the process, and in the midst a group of rebels risen.

They desire justice, and defy both HAO and the X-Laws. Known simply as Rebels, another obscured young man named Yoh became their leader, helping them become a formidable force that matches both the X-Laws and the HAO.

But this isn't about the conflict of Yoh, Zeke, and the X-Laws, but about a simple girl, member of a wannabe thief group of the Slums, caught in between.

* * *

"My name is Millie, I've been an orphan for a long time, and I struggle to survive in the slums. I only gotten this far thanks to my sister Elly, without her I would of died long ago... I'm so hungry, could you please give me some food, sir?"

Millie extended out her skinny arms to beg, hands only to be slapped by the rich man.

"Why should I? You're a filthy little urchin that deserves to rot to death in the Slums!" yelled the man, his face set with disgust.

Millie looked down ashamedly at her faded dress and worn shoes, yet feeling a rise of anger bubbling rising.

Clenching her fist she stood her ground and stated angrily, "I'm not filthy, my sister made sure of that at least!"

"Sister eh?" peered the fat balding man, his lazy eye drifting towards the busy street of the Capitol. "How old is she exactly, you might be able to strike a deal with me if you bring her along," he said with a wolfish grin.

Millie didn't like the tone or words the man was asking, so she retorted angrily back.

"She's dead."

"Oh," laughed the man without a look of pity, "well that's' really a shame, hey, why don't you come back in a couple years if you're still alive and then maybe we'll talk."

Snickering, he gave her a wink and slammed the door.

Millie felt a wave of anger and disgust towards this man. _'Men can be so cruel and disgusting!_'

She paused for a second, starting wistfully at the tall ornamented house, something that made her stood out in her Slum clothing. The beauty of the walls, golden roofs, neatly trimmed yard with statues of fairies and elves, and a nice, elegant black fence. Everything reeked of wealth and greed, something Millie hated and yearned at the same time. She slowly walked out of the yard, and into the busy street of the Capitol, elegant even as roads, with marble like cobblestones underneath her feet. The polished white stones revealed a reflection of her downcast face, slowing forming a smile as she walked.

She was glad that she was able to stall the man long enough with her pathetic sob story, smirking she turned around and skipped around the busy corner.

* * *

"Well, how did it go?" inquired Millie excitedly as she met up with her friend Elly near a rundown alley.

Elly, a beautiful girl with light brown hair was practically like Millie's older sister. They were together since the Great Famine, and in all appropriate terms, Millie was like the little sister Elly never had.

Elly smiled as she opened the bag slung around her shoulder.

"Oooh," gasped Millie at the stash of silverware, delicate porcelain, cat figurines, and some jewelry.

"This was all I got," sighed Elly while Millie obliviously slipped a necklace from the stash around her neck. "We could of got more if you talked longer."

Millie stopped playing with the necklace and sighed with annoyance. "Well sorry, maybe he would of talked longer if you were there, he seemed obviously interested in older girls!"

Elly shuddered, "You know why I can't stand guys like him."

"I know," said Millie, arms crosses and glaring at Elly.

Elly looked guilty at the thought of putting Millie in danger. And Elly didn't blame Millie on that point, after all Elly's job was usually distracting potential victims, while Millie creeps into their house or pocket to steal them silly.

"Oh don't worry about the creeper," laughed Elly airly. "After all it wasnt' like he was interested in you."

She stopped laughing when she realize Millie was still glaring, so she sobered up before continuing.

"And you had to play the Ms. Sob girl because…well men sometimes 'want' things that more developed girls had, and well, I thought it was best if you talked to him because I would of only risked myself in the process…"

Her excuse sounded lame, but Millie's expression softens.

"Silly Elly," she sighed. "Why didn't you just tell me you were uncomfortable with the guy?"

With that she turned around and started to walk back to the busy streets of the Slums. "Next time we'll just go stealing from cute rich people instead, she smiled before turning around the corner.

Elly felt guilty and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Because, I can't be weak around you Millie, even if I really am…I need to be the older sister, the guardian, to watch over you," she whispered before picking up the stolen goods and following Millie.

* * *

Millie was still feeling annoyed of Elly's insecurity with men, of course she didn't blame Elly, but it was Elly's fault for falling in love with so many wrong men at least! Millie would have been quicker in stealing goods than clumsy Elly, but no Elly would prefer to flirt and distract handsome men.

Love, pfft so sweet and distant, something that Millie doubt would be shown to her by a young man any day. Men are simply disgusting and boys are immature she concluded fiercely.

Both Millie and Elly walked though the bushy streets of the Slums, people begging, rushing, trading, and looking particularly bleak in comparison with the Capitol street they were on a while ago.

Both were careful to avoid any sights of the X-Laws Enforcers who can detain them based on suspicions alone.

Millie noticed that Elly seemed unusually quiet. _'Was it something I said,'_ thought Millie. Usually Elly would chat with her of sneak glances at cute men that past by.

Her thought was interrupted when she saw a woman nearby crying for help.

"Please won't anyone help!" she cried hysterically. "The X-Laws want my son, he's only a child! Oh please someone do something!"

A middle aged woman, dark hair loose, streaming tears in her panic stricken face, Millie knew all too well what was going to happen. Standing in front of her was a tall man dresses in the familiar and hated uniform. The man in white shoved past the crying woman and wretched a child from her arms.

The boy was about six, stubborn and quiet as he glared at the X-Law defiantly amid the sobs of his mother. A crowd has formed to watch and

Millie felt inclined to watch because such a spectacle was rare, arrests were often done in secrecy to push attention away.

"Millie," came Elly's voice as a hiss, her nails digging into Millie's shoulder. "We have to leave **now**!"

"But Elly," said Millie amid the woman's sobs, "What's wrong?"

Elly let go of Millie's shoulder and grabbed her hand instead, "I'll tell you later, once we're safe at our place!"

Millie couldn't stand it, biting her lips she jerked from Elly and broke into a sprint, shoving past onlookers until she came to the scene.

"Please my son is only a young boy, he had no idea that he was stealing from the county!" she cried before breaking into a fit of coughs.

The X-Law Enforcer, a shallow man with cold eyes merely sneered, "I'm afraid ma'am that anyone, regardless of age or gender that dares to attack an X-Law is committing treason against the Government too."

Millie was all too familiar to the punishment for stealing and attacking an X-Law. It requires repentance. If they repent for their crimes they will be jailed and lose everything. If they refuse to repent or protest innocence than they are shot. She had seen Elly crying some days because her friends had been caught rebelling against the X-Laws and chose death in defiance or not wanting to burden their family with their deeds.

Prison isn't nice either, torture, bad food, unhealthy conditions, or so says Sally, her other friend.

"Well," sneered the X Law, "Do you repent?"

The little boy bit his lip, hesitant, before looking up at the man, eyes blazing in rage.

"No! You X –Laws killed my older brother! He was brave til the very end! Why should I repent to such mons-"

A loud slap can be hear before the boy is shoved down, to the ground.

"You insolent little brat!" spat the man in a cold steely voice, his foot applying more pressure to the boy's head. "We'll see how brave you are if you can die just like your stupid brother!"

And amid the woman's helpless sobs the man proceed to kick the boy.

Millie was impulsive, no doubt about it. She's got into plenty of trouble for following her heart and emotions. But Millie didn't care; rage was planning to erupt over this X-Law's despicable actions. Slowly she proceeded to pull out her only measly weapon from her pocket to defend herself with in the Slums, a slingshot. She then bend down along the road, gripping a fairly sizable stone in the process.

"Please stop!" shrieked the woman; mad with grief she lashed out at the man in frenzy.

A shot ranged out and she crumpled into a heap.

"Noo!" cried the boy before Millie launched her stone in fury.

* * *

Well there you have it, the first chapter of my story, I kept bouncing ideas but I think I establish what my story would be about. Anyways I hope some people review, cause my first story has like only two, then again this is probably a decently well known anime so get the reviews flowing lol.

No flames either, they're hurtful and very inconsiderate, and as writers and readers we should be decently respectful to a degree.

This is one of my first fics, given that my Happy Happy Clover one was kiddy play :D Honestly though I'm feeling already a bit dissatisfy with the length of the fic, it should be longer!

I'm not sure when I'll be releasing my next chapter, but I think I got it down.

School would be starting soon for me, so don't be surprise if this fic would be hanging for a long time until holidays come around, but all the other people might be able to squeeze in their own stories.

Side note: Millie probably won't be seeing Lyserg until the third or fouth chapter by the way :P

Love,

Wuchen 1


	2. Conflicts Arise

Disclaimer: We don't own Shaman King, its fan made so don't try to sue .

* * *

For the longest time since Millie can remember, she was always fighting to survive.

Fighting because she knew it was that option or death.

Fighting to eat, breathe, and live.

Fighting for herself and everyone who she cared for.

A slingshot was a pathetic weapon against a gun, but with all the years practicing, shooting store windows, people, and anything else to survive, she was skilled enough.

She didn't know these people, but the woman and her son are all too familiar in the Slums. People in distress, people like her who have everything to lose.

The stone flew and smashed hard against the man's sneering face, changing it to a look of shock and agony.

"Argh!" howled the man, grabbing the side of his jaw; furiously he turned to his attacker, only to be smashed again by the same direction.

Adrenaline kicked in and now Millie was scared, she just attacked an X-Law and now there was no turning back. Furiously she launched another stone as hard as she can, rewarded by the man staggering back, cursing.

_'How long can I stall him?'_ she told herself.

The man had recovered, and Millie was out of stones, "You little brat!" he hissed as he lunged at her.

* * *

The crowd was getting agitated and confused, and Elly knew something had gone horribly wrong.

When a gunshot rang out, followed by a mother's wail, she knew the X-Law had gone too far.

'_Millie!'_

Eyes widening, she knew perfectly all too well what Millie was planning to do.

Cursing at her own incompetence she heard the X-Law scream in pain, followed by another whack of a rock against bone.

She hated it when Millie lashes out, because she would also risk her neck in the process of rescuing her.

Still, Elly couldn't help but be appalled at what was happening in front of her. She knew Millie had just pulled out her stupid slingshot and was attempting to take on the man.

"Stupid Millie!" cried Elly, as panic took in, any second now the man could recover and shoot Millie too!

She knew she had to do something, but what?

Furiously she ran and shoved her way though the crowd, and brought her bag of stolen goods down hard on the man's head, right when he was about to tackle Millie.

People were starting to panic all around as the X-Law slumped unconscious; Millie's surprised expression told Elly that she was okay.

She knew there was no turning back on her actions, both she and Millie were just as guilty, but that didn't mean she was going to go down without a fight.

"People of the Slums!" she cried. "What you see in front of you is an injustice, a crime against the very citizens of this land!"

She felt some relief when the crowd actually cheered on her words, and feeling that new rush of hope she continued.

"Starting now, its time for a change!" her comment was followed by another cheer. "And The Rebellion claims responsibility for this act of good will!" she added quickly. With that she dumped her contents from her bag, and made a break for it, dragging Millie on one arm, ignoring the chaos that broke out as people clamored for the things.

One particular angry crowd was actually dragging the unconscious X-Law away.

"Elly!" cried Millie. "We have to save that woman and her son, they'll both get trampled to death at this rate!"

"Tough luck on them!" retorted Elly. "I can't save them all can I?"

"Please Elly, we just have too if we let them die than we are no better than the X-Laws!"

Elly stopped and cursed to herself, "Well run ahead then Millie, I'll get them then!"

* * *

"Elly?" whispered Millie, she felt so tired and confused, "why did you say the Rebellion was responsible for the riot back there? Even though it was us, the Lily 5."

"Idiot, the Lily 5 isn't the most powerful gang of thieves out there, or the richest," snapped Elly bitterly. "It would be suicidal to declare out existence in such a large crowd!"

"So you were throwing out the blame on the Rebels so the X-Laws would blame them instead?"

"Precisely."

Millie didn't feel like saying much else, but for once she was actually glad, as much as they want to make a name of themselves as a feared gang of thieves, being associated with a riot seems too dangerous.

"Hey, is the lady and her son okay?" asked Millie.

They were resting at an abandoned warehouse, the only safe place they can find, Elly was acting as a lookout, staring apprehensively at the broken windows, as if the X-Laws would come any moment.

Millie was aiding the woman, her son staring vacantly at Millie as she tended the woman's wounds.

"Don't worry boy," smiled Millie as she applied pressure to the woman's wounds. "The Lily 5 knows a doctor who can help your mom."

"He actually works for the Rebellion, but you got to give credit that the Lily 5 was the one who lead you to him."

"Cut it out Millie," sighed Elly. "There's no point anyone, Rebellion or Lily 5, we're all against the X-Laws and HAO, what's more important is getting the woman medical help soon."

"Tell me, what happened?" asked Elly to the boy.

The boy wiped his bruised face, suspicious, but started to talk.

"My mom was sick, and I decided to steal some medicine at a Capitol pharmacy because we can never afford to buy it."

"I didn't want to lose my mom along the way, since it was only me, big brother, and mom before," he continued with tears pouring.

"My brother was caught, accused of working with the HAO and shot." The boy fell silent, before continuing. "My mom was never the same again, she never did anything and became depressed, then sick."

"So you didn't want to lose her either," whispered Millie softly.

"Yes," sniffed the boy, his final stiff façade breaking as he broke down.

Elly ran up to the boy and comforted him, "Shh, its alright now, you and you're mom would be okay, Dr. Faust can help her, and the Rebels are kind people honestly, they can take both of you in."

"T-thank you!" hiccuped the boy, as he clutched onto his mother, as if his life depended on it.

"I hope they would be okay," whispered Millie as she and Elly walked away from the Slum's hospital building.

"Don't worry about them," scoffed Elly, her attitude back again. "As much as Dr. Faust is a weirdo and a Rebel, we Slum people all depend on each other. Plus he's a good doctor that charges cheap, so the mom and son can work as assistants at his hospital to pay back the costs."

"Why does he work there anyway?" asked Millie. "I heard he was from the Capitol originally."

"I'm not sure, probably one of the people who was swept away by the Rebels' beliefs of justice, or probably because he really enjoys handling with bodies, no doubt there's plenty here."

"Doesn't he also run a morgue, you know the place where the dead bodies turn up?"

"Probably... how am I suppose to know, why didn't you ask him when we dropped of the mom and her son?"

"Err, he was kind of wacko…"

"Humph, speaking of wacko…" Elly turned around and boxed Millie's left ear.

"Oww!" she cried, "what was that for?"

"For almost getting us all killed!" she frowned angrily as she stormed ahead.

Millie sighed, but knew Elly was right. But still, she knew they did the right thing, for thieves at least. Smiling she ran to catch up with Elly, clutching her arm. Elly didn't pull back so she knew she had been forgiven.

"Thanks Elly for doing the right thing back there…sorry we lost all the stuff we stole."

"Its alright," she replied sighing. "Another day, maybe I should distract the victims next and you steal, but only if they are cute!"

The two girls walked through the gloomy Slums, laughing softly to dispel the uneasy feeling of something sinister approaching.

* * *

The X-Laws had a very interesting history in the country. Founded by a man set on devotion and power, he offered the Government a new form of security after the constant attacks by the evil criminal syndicate HAO, when the government refused to allow this new form of defense, the X-Laws stormed the Capitol and practically now controls the land.

Over the years the X-Laws became corrupted, not by greed or by sins but by faith and righteousness.

They believe that their ends will justify their means.

They believe that it was their divine destiny to take out Evil and bring peace.

They believe that Zeke was that Evil.

Meaning they would take down anyone who dared side against them.

Already over zealous on their faith, the X-Laws turned into a cult practically. They worship purity and good, which they see in the form of their leader, The Iron Maiden, a girl gifted with extreme magic and charisma.

Marco was the commander of the X-Laws, a cold and calculating man skilled with the gun. He is a discipline and religious man, willing to follow the Iron Maiden till the very end. He has both a burning passion for divine justice, which can only be satisfy by the death of Zeke. He views the Rebels as merely traitors to the Government, and considers them no better than the HAO.

As Marco walked briskly onto the sight, boot smacking hard against the crumbling road, his solemn expression registered a shock at the carnage that lay waste at the Slum center.

"Oh my Lady have faith," he exclaimed softly before walking to the center that is now populated by soldiers and clean up crew.

"Sir!" cried one of the X-Law's "The citizens of the Slum attacked a corporeal earlier this morning, the man is in critical condition as we speak."

"I wonder who could possibly claim responsibility on this attack?" asked Marco calmly as he bend down on a wrecked stand.

"We arrested as many perpetrators as we can find, but it seems like from witnesses that the Rebels held responsibility for the riot and attack."

Marco's white-gloved hand reached and grasped a giant shard of glass, it reflecting his angry expression before being crushed by his fist.

"Sir?"

"Those Rebel's think that they have the right to take on Zeke, are no better than Zeke themselves!" seethe Marco, "Soldier, send a message to the Government of this newest information, never mind that the Rebels act like patrons for the poor earlier in the months, they now pose an official threat like Zeke's group."

"But sir, could it be possible that Zeke did this or some other small criminal syndicate?"

"It's quite possible, but the Rebels have always shown a …dislike towards the X-Laws in the past, and we had had occasional tense standoffs with each other."

"So you're suggesting…?"

"That it's appropriate for them to take the blame, after all it's better to kill a cub before it becomes a lion, a mistake that I regret making."

Marco paused to push up his glasses. _'I'll take you out Yoh along with Zeke for daring to taint sins onto this perfect utopia!'_

" You are dismissed, Soldier."

As the man left, Marco surveyed the wreckage of the Slum center, such a shame that the Government has to know of what the X-Laws do, after all it was the Government's fault in the first place that the rise of Zeke came.

Something caught Marco's eye. Slowly bending down, he picked up a slingshot, beaten and obviously used many times. "A report did mention someone hurling stones…" he muttered. He knew this could play key evidence in deducting what happen, but it doesn't matter. He'll just present it to the Government as the evidence and let them sort it out; after all he has better things to do.

* * *

"Where have you guys been!" demanded Lilly, another member of the Lily 5, her face creased in worry.

"Oh we ran into a riot," said Millie with a yawn.

"Elly! I thought you said you were going to watch her," scolded Lilly, "let me guess she started it didn't she?"

"Well, I was watching her, until she decided to go Rebel on me," said Elly.

Lily glanced at Elly's annoyed expression and Millie's innocent one, before concluding with a sigh.

"Come on everyone, its time to get to work at the bar."

They all walked toward the rundown bar called the "Lily 5 Bar," where the Lily 5, Millie, Elly, Sally, Lilly, and Sharona run their operations.

It was a shady looking building, windows dirty and the sign barely visible. The dull appearance outside is about the same inside, drab walls with a couple chairs and tables and a dirty bar in the corner.

In the Slums, the food chain goes around with the top criminal syndicates, its members, the dealers, wannabe crime gangs, and the beggars. The Lily 5, was a gang that Sharona came up with, consisting of 5 young women, or girl in Millie's case, who had no where else to go in life. Abandoned by people, they vowed to rely on each other, and together steal, lie, charm, fight, and anything else in between to achieve their goal and become the top of the Slum's system.

Whether it was working, Millie doubted it, but the gang was like a family she never had, and she tag along willingly.

Sharona, their leader, was a tall, voluptuous woman, blonde curls and wearing a purple dress. Despite her attempts to give herself a rich, elegant, and sly look, she always manages to produce the opposite. She was sitting by the bar stool, legs crossed, and glaring at the girls as they walk in.

"Sooo, what took you so long Elly and Millie?"

Millie frowned at Sharona, _'what gives her the right to know anyways? Sharona is so bossy and irresponsible herself that she has no right to act like she's some queen!'_

Elly merely gave a tired a sigh, "We didn't have any luck today with the address you gave us Sharona."

Sharona looked annoyed. "How are we failing so miserably anyways? We have the potential of doing great things and yet somehow it isn't going right? Lilly! Tell me the report for today!"

Lilly pulled out a large notebook, and leafed through the pages, "We earned 100 gold from work at the bar this week, stealing earned 200, the dealers paid us around 800 for the stolen goods, and rent is around 2000, so we owe 800 gold..."

The group groaned.

"Come on we have to take bigger risks instead of begging and pickpocketing!" fumbled Elly.

"What can we do anyways?" sighed Lilly, "the numbers don't lie..."

"Well ladies," interuppted Sharona, "I guess we have no choice but to sell our..."

"Sharona!" gasped Lilly. "We Lily 5 have more dignity than _those _women, plus Millie is still a kid!"

"...posessions."

"What? more furniture," mutter Elly. "We barely have any left for the bar..."

"I think its best if all of us go for another round of stealing tommorrow," sighed Millie, as she walked upstairs past her bickering gang and to their living quarters on the second floor."

For once she was glad to see their grim living area, consisting of a couple rooms and a living room in the center, tiny but it sure beats sleeping on the streets.

She climbed up to the next flight of creaking stairs that lead to the attic, her room.

Tiny, it had a window that brought moonlight down into the room, Millie flopped down, suddenly feeling very scared and anxious over the day's events...

"I could of died today," she whispered,the realization finally hitting her. She could of been shot right then and die. Trembling she changed into a night shift and hugged herself, feeling relief she thanked her lucky stars.

A soft yip could be heard outside, followed by a light scratching of the circular window of the attic. Millie reached out and pushed it open. Out jumped the red fox Onibi, her animal companion.

"Onibi," she smiled softly. Onibi wasn't just a regular fox, but a fire fox, one of the many magical spirit creatures that thrive on this land. Often these creatures, fire foxes, fairies, and many others are harmless, before technology came into this land, these creatures and mankind coexist perfectly. But when technology came, mankind became corrupted and slaughtered them, before realizing they can be extracted to create energy.

Often finding a magical creature is rare, often they are traded in the Black Market or kept in government hands as weapons.

Millie couldn't imagine Onibi being used as a weapon. Onibi looked like a regular fox, cute and orangish-red.

Onibi gave a yip before cuddling next to Millie. Onibi's warmth radiating off his fur, giving Millie reassurance and warmth.

That's when she realized that her slingshot was gone.

* * *

Finally updated to my imaginary audience, hip hip hooray! I hope the whole plot line isn't so confusing, but I'll try to clarify some stuff, its an alternate universe, where advance technology clashes with magic. Magical sprirt creatures, like in any rpg game, pretty much are just there, orginally they got along with the people, creating bonds with them that help humans survive. Pretty much the 'shaman concept' but they are now rare, and have been expolited for their magic spirit energy when man brought technology into the picture. Humans gradually lost that spirit connection and resorted to killing these magical creatures and extracting their energy.

Arrgh, school is coming soon, and I'm so so nervous . So I'm going to starting working on the next chapter soon.

I'm going to try to stay positive though, because there's no point in brooding and getting depress about it.

Reviews would be nice, and remember no flaming!

Wuchen


	3. What is Real Strength?

**Disclaimer: I don't owe Shaman King, so don't sue! Its merely fan made. **

**Wow a whooping zero reviews! Whee I'm on a roll today!**

"Damnit! I want to get strong NOW!" -**Duran**, Seiken Densetsu III

* * *

Millie woke up with light streaming into her room from the dirty window. Groggily she sat up and rubbed her eyes. The thoughts of yesterday coming back to her, she got up and started to change and get ready for a day of pick pocketing. She staggered awkwardly and grabbed her drab dress, wrinkling her nose at the condition. She considers getting something more appealing instead of this flowery and faded dress, but at this moment they are on a tight budget. Some thieves they turn out to be…

She let out a sigh and open the attic door, walking to their dingy bathroom at the end of the hall.

'_Odd_,' she told herself, usually she would wake up at the peak of dawn and fight for her right for the bathroom…something just seems off about the whole atmosphere. It was too quiet.

Onibi always leaves for a day of hunting mice or exploring, but today Onibi was following her, his eyes looking anxiously back and forth, an odd whimper escaping as he paced nervously.

"Onibi, calm down," ordered Millie, "the girls are probably off to do something on their own, maybe get some extra money that they forgot about me…"

Millie knew she was only trying to reassure herself, but it worked nonetheless.

She hit the bath. The water was icy cold, sending her into a shuddering gasp, but at least it woke her up. Bathroom wouldn't really be the appropriate word for her bath, it consist of a drain at the tile floor and a bucket to get water from the leaky faucet. Cramped it smelled of mildew but its what they can afford.

Letting out a sigh, she made herself look presentable in the gaudy dress, and glanced at her reflection on a mirror that hung at the wall.

Millie wasn't pretty like Elly, or cool like Sally, sophisticated like Lilly, and well, 'endowed' like Sharona. Maybe it will take a few years to actually beat them all, after all starving half the time doesn't help with her growth. Her face wasn't bony thin like the beggars of the Slums because of her friends, and her large doe like eyes are probably her best quality. Nothing could be said about her short brown hair and her height either. The last time she checked she might be around twelve, but than again who keeps track in the Slums? _'Who cares anyways like I'll ever find a guy or want one.'_

"Okay you guys this isn't funny!" she yelled angrily as she descended the stairs to the bar.

"You guys can stop trying to be-"

Millie paused at the bar, it was empty as usual but neat, and sitting in one of the bar stools was another woman.

"Tilda?"

The sultry red head biker woman was sipping a glass of spirit, a smirk on her lips as she turned to face Millie.

The look of surprise flicker across her face confirmed that Tilda was also expecting someone else.

"Oh," she replied airily. "Where's that Sharona?"

Millie looked annoyed, Tilda had a rivalry with Sharona since they were teenagers, but recently Sharona was at the losing end this time. She despises Tilda because the woman was intolerable and low scum for even a Slum person.

Plus they owe Tilda money, a lot of money.

"So pip-squeak, Sharona and the rest of her gang finally decided to ditch you eh?"

"Oh you morons," Millie hissed to herself before turning to Tilda and giving her a winning smile. "Of course not Miss _Hilda,_ they are just off to get some money from the bank."

"Humph nice try brat but I came to collect my dues," she snapped, red lips pursed into a pout. She stood up and approached Millie. "Guess I'll have to collect it through other means…"

"I have no idea where any of the cash is hidden Hilda!"

"Like I said before, it's **TILDA**!" she retorted, and then shoved Millie. "Besides I have a hunch where the dough would be at…"

She grabbed a top cover of their dusty old piano and shoved the lid off. There, nestled in between the B and C key there was a tin cup brimming with their rent payments.

"Oh no you don't! You old lady!" shrieked Millie as she tackled Tilda from behind, teeth sinking into her red leather jacket.

Tilda swiped and knocked Millie off before making a dash to the door. Millie reached up and grabbed her ankle.

"Oof!" cried Tilda as the fell facedown sending the can flying.

Millie scrambled over the groaning Tilda and grabbed as much coins as she can. Before she knew what hit her, Tilda's black biker boots met Millie's side.

"Ahh!" shrieked Millie in pain, as she slumped to her side. Tilda smirked as she snatched the can of gold coins and paper money checks, and turned to face Millie.

"So, where are your friends now?"

"Coming any moment you witch!" she spat.

Tilda grabbed Millie by her collar and lifted her up. For a woman she was pretty strong, and probably could kill Millie if she wanted. She noticed Millie's necklace, the necklace she stole yesterday from the rich man of the Capitol.

Fingers wrapped around it, Tilda smirked. "Consider the payments done." With that she ripped it off and threw Millie to the ground and broke into a triumphant laugh.

A fireball blasted in her direction halted Tilda's laughter. Shrieking she ducked, and spun around, facing a furious Onibi. The fire fox snarled and let off another stream of fire at Tilda. She screamed dropping the money.

"You never told me you have magical creatures in this dump!" she screamed. Ducking from another fireball, she dashed for the doorway. "I'll report all of you guys to the Government!" she yelled before running off.

"Onibi!" cried Millie, as she crawled to a trembling Onibi. The fox looked haggard, and snapped at her hand, eyes darting in confusion amid the smoke it's fire attack left.

"Shh, stop it Onibi it's all right, that horrible old lady is gone now," Millie cooed. She reached the quivering fire fox and pulled him close to her. The fox ceased his shaking and started to lick apologetically at Millie's bruised fingers.

"Don't worry Onibi, no one would take you away, or try to sell you," she whispered before getting up. Millie surveyed the bar with dismay, the fire was spreading fast and she doubt much could really be salvaged. Frowning she put Onibi down and started to shove the burning furniture outside. It was hard work but she felt powered to save the Lily 5 hideout at any cost.

Smoke rising, a bonfire of chairs and tables crackle outside while Millie looked on sadly at her work, _'Well, so much for selling the furniture…'_

No one questions trash burning at the Slums, but Millie still felt anxious about the Government coming to arrest her. If it was true on what Hilda, err Tilda, said then she will be in major trouble…

"Where is my gang anyway? Tilda clearly didn't know where everyone was herself, so the gang must of left before she came…unless they were kidnapped!" she concluded aghast.

Millie quickly ran up to her attic/room and grabbed her knapsack, shoving in a few coins she saved from Tilda, a cloak, and a few of her prized possessions before dashing into the Lily 5's bedrooms.

She grabbed Lilly's glasses, Elly's prized weapon called Talons, Sally's magic mallet, and Sharona's crafted pipe. These possessions were prized by each of the Lily 5 for some unknown reason, probably because except for the Lilly's glasses, all of them were class C illegal magical items. If Tilda was right, she'll give the X-Laws the address to their bar. Onibi can run, but items can't.

She quickly scooped up Onibi, and shoved Sharona's pipe up his nose.

"Come on Onibi, sniff them out okay?"

Onibi gave a whiff and snorted, before jumping out of Millie's arms and dashed out into the streets.

He ran to a corner, gave a yip, and disappeared around the corner with Millie running after him.

"When I find you guys you're all going to wish you hid from me!" she huffed.

* * *

The chiming of the grand grandfather clock indicated that it was already noon, and the two Government officials were still discussing with the boy about the case.

The more burly man kept glancing around the house, anxious to leave and have lunch.

The skinnier one was more focused on his job though.

"Mr. Diethel, it would be of your best interest to take on this case, the Government had already offered you a position before, but you tend to go solo all the time."

"I have every intention on keeping it that way," came a tart reply.

"You may wish to, given that your work often goes to a _personal _scale with a particular crime group…"

"Doesn't the Government have enough law enforcement around to take care of petty crimes?" asked Mr. Diethel in annoyance.

A slam on the table startled both Mr. Diethel and the burly official.

"You know why the Government is incapable of taking care of it's own," hissed the skinny man angrily. "The X-Laws practically run the damn country, the Government is only a puppet…this whole country rots of them!" he continued bitterly.

Mr. Diethel raised an eyebrow before ordering a maid to bring in refreshments for the guest.

"Mr. Diethel?"

"Hmm yes?"

"I think these recent attacks on X-Laws have little to do with the Rebels but members of HAO…"

Mr. Diethel suddenly looked back at the official, "HAO tends to not strike around this time of month, trust me I would know," he replied coolly.

"I believe you would, given that you tracked its leader Zeke for the last four years…"

"Funny, why you should care about my personal interests."

"I came here to warn you that the fanatic X-Laws see potential in you as a possible recruit."

Mr. Diethel took in this tidbit of information. "Given that Zeke is just as fanatic, I'll say both are just on the different sides of the same coin."

"What does that mean?"

"Zeke is corrupt and wants to destroy the country, while the X-Laws are willing to destroy the country to end corruption."

The skinny official fell silent while the burly man started to eat the sandwiches given by the maid. "You're right Lyserg Diethel now tell me, which side are you on?"

Lyserg stood up and walked towards the evidence presented to him on the small coffee table, he picked up a slingshot and examined it.

"I don't know honestly. Though personally I'm more of a Rebel supporter, you too I guess?"

The official leaned back on his chair, and let out a sigh, "yes, but at this point does it matter? Get to the point Lyserg, will you investigate who cause the Marketplace riot yesterday?"

"I'm too old," he sighed, "promise me boy that no matter what, don't join up with the X-Laws your parents would disapprove."

"Then why are you asking me to solve this case?"

"Because you'll do those perpetrators more justice then the X-Laws would."

"Since you were such a good friend of my late father," Lyserg gave a small smile, "then yes I'll take the case."

* * *

Lyserg was walking through the clean streets of the Capitol, wearing his signature green plaid cloak with a white shirt, black pants, and black boots. Even though he was only fourteen, his was beyond his age in skill, particularly in finding criminals.

He waited by the bus stop, swing a blue crystal pendulum back in forth. It was a magical item that serves as his best tool in finding criminals. A magic item, class A, its been in his family for generations, believing to be a gift to his ancestor by a Fairy. It serves as a dowsing tool, a form of divination that can detect the spirit energy of people if he concentrated hard enough.

Lyserg had made plenty of enemies with his work in tracking criminals, illegal magic trade, and hideouts. But he didn't care, all he cared about was justice being served, and even though his family strayed from the X-Law's influence years ago, he couldn't help but be swayed by their rallies and abilities in the present.

"Never mind Lyserg," he scoffed at himself, "you promise old Tobias that you'll take on a case from them, no point in actually joining them." He had a license to use the magic item, and he knew how much the X-Laws hated magic, so if he did join them then he'll have to give up his pendulum.

The hover bus creaked up to a stop, doors open. Lyserg gave a polite smile to the driver before entering.

"Young lady do you know this bus goes to the dangerous Slums right?" The bus driver gave Lyserg a funny look.

"But of course." Lyserg gave a small smile before his features darken, "but I'm a boy also."

* * *

"Sooo," drawled out a young man with long raven hair. His youthful eyes had a hard glint, and his smile was sardonic. "What brings you three ladies here?"

"Haha, well we were wondering if we can join up with the HAO, Zeke sir," laughed Sharona nervously.

"Hmm interesting preposition," chuckled Zeke good naturally, "why I may ask?"

"Err well we want to be on the winning side of this three way war, and we have much potential to offer!"

"Really?" exclaimed Zeke with surprise.

"Yes," continued Sharona nervously, "we started out as a small gang of theieve but we want to make it in the big leagues."

"Are you threatening my power?"

"No-no not at all-"

"We want to be stronger fighters," declared Sally, saving Sharona in the nick of time, "we want to join you to become stronger fighters in the way of magic."

"Stronger? Hmm I always have an odd habit of admiring people who wish to become _stronger…"_

"Please consider us to join you syndicate, Zeke. All my life I always wanted to be the strongest and fight against the X-Laws and this cruel world," pleaded Elly.

Zeke threw back his head in laughter.

Elly, Sally, and Sharona started bewildered at whatever Zeke found so amusing.

"Yes," chuckled Zeke, "this indeed is a cruel world, one where I was deprive of my rightful throne, but now we will show the world right ladies?"

The three young women felt unsafe at where they were standing. They were at the end of the Slums, on the side of a cliff, where a huge reservoir located under. The water had an odd murky black color to it, and the dam that held the water was already rigged with explosives. It was a huge dam, that if broken can drown the whole city.

"If you are truly intent of joining the HAO you have to prove yourselves ladies," smiled Zeke.

The three felt suddenly very scared, behind Zeke stood his gang of elite criminals, capable of killing a man a hundred ways, gunslingers that never miss a shot, and sadistic psychopaths.

"So, tell me ladies are you ready to set off the explosives?"

"But there are innocent people, they have no right to die for the X-Law's actions!" protested Sharona.

Zeke merely laughed. "Tell me, the strong need to be strong right? The flood would only drown the weak and ignorant, purifying this nation of the pathetic!"

"But Lilly and Millie are still at the Slums!" cried Elly horrified.

"So? If your pathetic posses die then its their fault," he smiled.

"They aren't are posses," stated Sally angrily, "they are our friends."

Elly and Sharona glanced at each other; to have tough Sally speak that way was rare.

"Sally's right," continued Sharona, "I'll never join such a twisted organization that would hurt the innocent!"

"You're nothing but a sick man!" added Elly in disgust.

Zeke's pleasant expression darken, a sinister smile spreading. "Well then men, I think its best for you to kill them."

"What!" cried Sharona and Elly.

Zeke glared at them. **"People like you will never be strong, you're too weak with your own pathetic ideals, people like you will have no place in my world, and are better off dead!"**

"Besides, I've read your spirit energy and it dwarfs all my men," he smiled before turning away as his gang advanced towards them.

A blast of pure spirit energy sends the three screaming young women tumbling down onto the murky reservoir.

"Set off the bombs now," replied Zeke casually with a wave of his hand.

* * *

Note:

Okay finally done, not bad for a story that I wrote without a rough draft eh? I have a ton of stuff to do and am probably procrasinting. I might delete my story and re-edit the chapters later though...but I'm too lazy now :P

I felt like adding a quote from one of my favorite rpg classics Seiken Densetsu 3, I love this game and I thought the quote would be appropriate. :) Give the game a try though honestly I had no idea how I obtained it :/

Anyways school is sneaking up on me, and I'll probably hit the books soon, so I'll try to hurled another story I'm working on and update along the way.

Honestly the story feels slightly confusing for me, maybe that's because I'm writing it along the way, so if anyone else feels that way that way just email me k?

I'm thinking of actually shortening these chapters, all this typing is taking a toll on my eyes and fingers and time .

Love,

Wuchen


	4. Narrow Events

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King, if I did a lot of characters would be dead now, or at least what Circle 2 says…**

* * *

_Zeke glared at them. "People like you will never be strong, you're too weak with your own pathetic ideals, people like you will have no place in my world, and are better off dead!"_

"_Besides, I've read your spirit energy and it dwarfs all my men," he smiled before turning away as his gang advanced towards them._

_A blast of pure spirit energy sends the three screaming young women tumbling down onto the murky reservoir._

"_Set off the bombs now," replied Zeke casually with a wave of his hand._

* * *

An hour earlier...

Millie was running through the Slums following Onibi as she went. It was noon and trading was in full swing at the Marketplace.

'_Funny how everything just goes on in the Slums regardless of the riot yesterday_,' thought Millie to herself. The Slums was filled with people who were tough, and a riot or the suppression of the Government does little to destroy the Slums.

Onibi stopped running, and gave a confused look. The trail was a dead end again. Millie felt like giving up at this point, and just go home, but what happens if Tilda comes back with enforcers?

Millie's ears perked up to the drunken singing coming from one of the more well established bars of the Slums. The singing sounded familiar, and she hopes the singer would know where her friends were. She confidently walked into the bar, and past the curious gazes of drinkers, to Ryu.

Ryu was originally a run of the mill biker leader, but these days he spends his time between Rebel work, meditating, and in the arms of various women. Ryu doted Millie for some odd reason, much to the annoyance of Elly and Sharona. Besides his odd accent, bizarre hairdo, and antics, Millie trusts Ryu. Something about this man… maybe its his compassion to be a mentor for the troubled and his humor brightening the atmosphere sets him different from the rest. Millie concluded that even though he's weird, he's a kind man and really believes in the Rebellion's philosophy.

Something Millie wishes that she could do the same, well excluding the "man" part at least.

Before Millie could talk to Ryu, she saw that he was already engaged in a conversation with someone. She couldn't tell whom, but the way the person was dress from was definitely from the Capitol. She stiffen up,_' no one in their right mind from the Capitol would come here unless they were the X-Laws!'_ Biting her lip, she quickly scrambled underneath a nearby table and started to eavesdrop.

Lyserg walked calmly through the chaotic streets of the Slums, trying hard to keep his face from looking too curious at the people. The grim streets contrast with the clean ones at his home, but he was no stranger to the Slums. He had been through the nooks and crannies of this part of the city, constantly searching for clues, answers, revenge.

Even with his frequent visits, he always felt unfamiliar here. He swears every time he comes, there is another street he forgot to explore, another shop added for investigation, old buildings here one day and gone the next. No doubt, he both hated the Slums and found them fascinating.

Lyserg noticed a sad little girl sitting by the corner of the streets, her gaunt face and dull eyes indicating sickness. Compassion seized his heart as he walk quickly towards her. The girl didn't even acknowledge Lyserg's presence. Her eyes were staring into nothing. Lyserg bend down and offered her some of his money, but she remained listless. Lyserg stood up and walked over to a stall and bought a cup of warm tea before coming back to the girl. At first the girl remained listless, but the warmth from the tea stirred something inside her, and she reached out to take the cup. Lyserg patiently watch her drink the tea before getting up and giving a bow before walking away awkwardly.

Lyserg felt both surprised and sad at the girl's odd behavior. She looks like barely a husk of a person.

"Don't bother with her."

Lyserg looked to see a young man slight older than him standing nearby. Lyserg gave him a quizzical look.

"You're a kind person, but the Slums are filled with people like her everywhere," continued the young man with a sad smile.

"Yoh, were you spying on me?"

Yoh gave a light laugh, " Nah, not really I was about to give the girl some of my leftover food before yah beat me to her."

"For the leader of the Rebellion you seem pretty laid back… yet then again chivalrous as usual"

Yoh just shrugged, "I guess it's just my personality Lyserg, like you being a workaholic."

Lyserg gave an annoyed look before asking. "What do mean something is wrong with that girl?"

"She lost the will to live, her spirit is empty, she just wanders around, the Rebels found her earlier in the month but she hasn't respond much."

Yoh looked at Lyserg, and Lyserg saw anger in Yoh's eyes. "The Slums sometimes takes its toll on people, especially the kids and elders. You know what they do to the people that just kneel over don't you? They just cart them off and burn them in some dump."

Lyserg glared at Yoh. "Of course I do! Don't take me for some gullible idiot Yoh, and don't think that would persuade me to sympathized with the Rebel's cause."

Yoh gave a sigh, "I'm not trying to win you over to the Rebel's cause Lyserg, I'm just trying to show you what happens here, for your own good my friend."

Lyserg and Yoh originally had a very tense relationship. Originally Lyserg was in search for Zeke when he encountered Yoh, a seemingly good guy. But when Lyserg realized that Yoh was creating a Rebellion against the X-Laws, he felt it obligated to try to persuade Yoh to reconsider.

When that didn't work, Lyserg had to arrest Yoh, but after Yoh and his gang saved Lyserg from criminals that Lyserg previously arrested, well Lyserg couldn't arrest Yoh after that.

"As much as I support the Rebel's cause and appreciate your friendship Yoh, I can't betray the place I came from…I can support you guys with supplies, but I can't actually take part in anything you guys do Yoh."

Yoh smiled. "I know Lyserg, trust me buddy, the money you provide became a big help." He threw his arms around an embarrassed Lyserg, "Horo-horo didn't have to sell his kidneys to buy weapons."

"Thanks Yoh for making me feel like I'm contributing to something actually legal," sighed Lyserg.

"Have the X-Laws been asking you to join again?"

Lyserg frowned slightly, "Nothing seems wrong with them Yoh, I don't see why I can't…"

Yoh winced. "Oh come on Lyserg, don't enlist for them, there just as bad as HAO, you know what they do to the Slum people!"

Lyserg pulled away from Yoh angrily, "maybe, but compare to what Zeke has done I'm not taking any chances, I honestly think the only reason why you don't want me to join the X-Laws is because the money won't come flowing into the Rebels!"

"Come on Lyserg that isn't the reason, we can manage financially alright without your help, we have a big enough organization to deal damage to both sides!"

"Then give me one good reason why you disapprove of me joining!"

"They are fanatics, they took over the government, and killed the land's leader, they abuse their own power and have not pity nor forgiveness. It's disgusting for you to sink so low into their disillusioned fantasy. Besides if you join Lyserg, we will stop being friends…"

Even though Yoh and Lyserg are leader and detective respectively, they were still boys. They experience things that seem unimaginable to boys their age, but circumstances force them to accept their destiny.

Both are talented and have high amounts of spirit energy that enable them to perform magic and fight with undeniable skill. A person these days with this much spirit energy is rare.

Lyserg always knew that Yoh would lead the Rebellion with more justice but he still doubt Yoh's ability to take on the X-Laws and the HAO.

"I have to go Yoh," said Lyserg. "But like I said before, I don't regret being friends with you Yoh. But I have a job to do today."

"Does it involve us?"

Lyserg shook his head, "I'm not sure, it involves that marketplace riot yesterday…it seems like something you guys would do? Especially since inside sources link the Rebels to the cause."

"It wasn't us Lyserg, honest, though I wish it was. I think Ryu was actually there and saw what happen, you should go check with him."

"Ryu? Great."

Yoh smiled again. "Come on Lyserg don't blame Ryu for mistaking you for a girl when you guys first met. That means you're pretty attractive that even the guys want you," Yoh chuckled.

Lyserg cast an annoyed glance at Yoh before walking off.

Lyserg found Ryu intoxicated but manage to wheedle out that the Lily 5, another gang of the Slums was responsible for the riot yesterday. Lyserg felt slightly disappointed that it wasn't a major crime group but a bunch of thieves.

"The Lily 5…" he pondered before he heard Ryu let out a happy hello to some girl named Millie behind him.

* * *

_'Shoot!' _thought Millie in a panic, 'calm down even though Ryu exposed you to this X-Law, its best to just play it cool.'

"Oh hi Ryu-san," smiled Millie pleasantly as she clambered from under the table, the shady atmosphere of the bar suddenly radiating with her smile, "how are you doing on this lovely day!"

Ryu gave a gasp, "Millie you addressed me like a teacher!" Ryu sniffed, "finally someone is able to see the way of the true Bandit, even though "–san" is a Japanese word and I have no idea how it would come into our vocabulary system given that it was never implied if we were from _that_ world!"

Millie just frown, whatever Ryu was talking about made sense for a drunk at least, she quickly spun around with Onibi in her arms and made a dash for the door while Ryu rambled.

"Hey wait!" called the X-Law when he noticed Millie dashing off.

That only send Millie into a panic, angrily she turned around and stuck her tongue out at the X-Law before running faster out the door.

"Sorry Ryu, but that wouldn't be one of the members would it?"

"Oh yes Millie is part of the Lily 5, and I'll have to say she's the cutest one of all!" laughed Ryu merrily. Ryu suddenly sobered up, "Why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing," said Lyserg quickly as he dashed out the bar too.

"Thanks Ryu!"

"Err, anytime my protege!"

* * *

"Curses," fumbled Millie in frustration. Not only was she unable to ask Ryu where her gang was, she now had a bratty X-Law after her. Though the X-Law looks to be around 13-15 years old, so she concluded that she could lose him easily.

Its not a surprise X-Laws hired younger people to do their dirty work, why rumors have it that the so-called Lady that they worship is a little girl that is gifted with high spirit energy.

She made a turn around a building and ran. Running fast, she turned again and came to a dead end. The sounds of boots running faster echo the empty alley, telling her that the X-Law was closing in. Onibi gave whimper, and Millie knew she had to find some way to get out fast. She clambers onto the walls of the alley, propping her feet against the corner of the alley, and slowly started to climb, weight pressed against the two walls that meet to create the corner. She had slipped on Elly's magic weapons called Talons, the look like gauntlets or metal gloves equipped with blades giving Millie's hands the look of giant cat claws. Her 'claws' dig into the bricks, which were loose enough to still grip on. One foot on one side, and other foot on other side, she reminded herself.

Onibi clung onto her back, nails digging in, making Millie grimace at the pain. She just kept climbing fast.

When one hand reached the top edge of the building, Millie felt a rush of relief as she heaved herself over the top, with the X-Law just arriving.

She peeked over the edge, looking down at her chaser.

He was young after all, green hair that's spiky and a little messy. There was nothing else different about him except for his unfashionable green cloak and rather delicate features. She pursed her lips in annoyance, 'really does this guy think he could catch me?'

Lyserg glanced up and caught Millie's head peeking from the top of the building, determination set in, he ran to the wall and started to jump side to side, each jump pushing him closer to her.

"Eeek!" cried Millie in shock, she quickly scramble and bolted fast.

"This guy might not be such a sissy at all," she gasped to Onibi.

Millie ran off to the other side of the building, looking back to see that the boy was already on top and advancing towards her.

Millie took a breath and broke into another sprint, running fast and then jumping to the next building top.

She flew for a second, feeling a sort of rush as she soared, never mind that Onibi probably died of a heart attack by now, she was actually flying!

"Ooof!"

The impact as she landed on the next roof jolted her, cursing she staggered upwards, the pain shooting through her legs making her wobble slightly.

She turned around to see the boy looking mildly surprise, and turning around. He then broke to a dash and ran towards her direction, also making a jump for it.

"Ah man!" moaned Millie, as she ran to the next roof.

Millie was huffing and puffing in exhaustion, never mind if she was captured or arrested at this point, she was too tired to care. She legs felt numb from the landings, and she had more scratches than an old cat post.

Her chaser looked better off, and was still pursuing her relentlessly also.

Millie gritted her teeth and made another jump, but this jump was miscalculated and the edge of the roof impacted her chest, knocking the wind out of her.

"Ah!" cried Millie, her arms gripping onto the edge for her dear life.

"I don't want to fall!" she cried, eyes shut and frantically digging the claws into the side.

She was slipping, oh no!

"Noooo!" she wailed, Onibi dangling from her back was only adding to her _imminent _demise.

Her grip was lessening, perspiration drenching her, as she let go.

The last thing Millie saw wasn't the sky, but a flash of green, and suddenly she was dangling over the edge.

The boy had leaped over to the side and gripped her arms with surprising strength, gritting his teeth he pulled her over and with both of them collapsing.

Millie let out a cry in happiness as she kiss the roof top, panting with relief that she wasn't smashed to bits on the ground.

"Are you okay?"

Millie looked up to see the boy's green eyes flicker with concern.

And Millie suddenly felt blood rush up into her face.

"Y-yeah… I'm fine!" blushed a flustered Millie. She realized she was staring at him longer than required so she looked down instead. "I guess you're going to arrest me than…"

Lyserg looked embarrassed, but nodded. "Yeah I guess I have too at this point, not to mention I need to interrogate you also."

Millie winced, before nodding in agreement. "I'm not going to deny it, I'm part of the Lily 5, and I started the Marketplace riot the other day, you can arrest me, but leave the rest of my gang out of it!"

Lyserg looked perplexed, "why?"

"I was the one who caused it, the rest of my gang had no responsibility over it."

Millie didn't want her friends to go to jail because of her actions, they were innocent of the whole thing and it wouldn't seem right.

Lyserg stuck out his hand to help Millie up. Millie reluctantly glanced up to see him giving her a stern look_. 'You have no right to look at me like I'm some bad brat, your practically my same age,'_ she silently fumbled before reaching her hand out.

Lyserg grabbed it and yanked out Elly's Talons before handcuffing Millie. "My name's Lyserg by the way."

"Millie," came an anger and terse reply.

Lyserg smile, "cute name."

'_He thought my name was cute,'_ blushed Millie, before she frowned and shot back. "Weird name."

"Thanks."

Lyserg surveyed Millie. "So what exactly happen at the Marketplace?"

* * *

Millie explained it as casually as she could despite the building fear in her heart. Lyserg also tied up Onibi for extra caution though Onibi seemed stiff the whole time.

"I'm not sure how to make of this Millie…but there was property damage and some people were hospitalized, especially that X-Law with critical condition."

"But the mother was also hospitalized in the Slum hospital, the family lost everything!"

"You're right, but the law is the law."

"I'll repent!" blurted out Millie.

Lyserg looked confused for a second, "I don't work for the X-Laws, I took this mission on my own as a hired detective."

Millie took in that information for a second. "Oh."

She stared at Lyserg for a second, before coughing awkwardly, "well don't expect I'll go down without a fight."

"Nice try Millie."

* * *

They were walking down the stairs of the building, Millie feeling slightly downcast. Lyserg couldn't help but feel sorry for Millie; here was a girl who grew up in the Slums, she knew nothing about the laws or proper living and probably struggled to survive.

Millie cast an annoyed glance at Lyserg. "Don't pity me, I see all you Capitol people for who you guys really are!"

Lyserg frowned and let out a sigh, "I guess I can let you go on a warning…"

"Really!" Millie smiled hopefully.

"But I'll have to confiscate anything illegal in your bag."

"Jeez."

They were walking through the Slums, actually trying to find a way out, given that they were so deep into it that even Millie had no idea where they were.

Maybe they already reached towards the edge of the city, where a giant dam towers over the Slums.

Lyserg looked like her was going to say something but someone struck him in the back with a wooden board, making fall into the ground.

"Eeek!" shrieked Millie in shock, she spun around and faced his attacker.

A frazzled glass-less Lilly was wielding a plank.

"LILLY!"

"Oh Millie," cried Lilly in a panic, "I finally found you, quick lets ditch this X-Law and make a run for it!"

"Wait, why Lilly?"

"The rest of the gang left earlier today to ask to join up with Zeke and his gang, I didn't want to because we can't trust that kind of person…"

"But why would they do that?"

"I guess they want to be a more efficient and stronger gang, maybe reap in the profits that Zeke earns if they become his goons."

"I was so worried about you guys," stormed Millie angrily, "why didn't you tell me?"

"It wouldn't be safe, we were older and had more financial trouble than we can afford, so Sharona thought it would be safe to talk to Zeke herself."

"Of course it would be that idiot Sharona," muttered Millie.

"I hid nearby because I couldn't trust HAO and I couldn't be more right…"

"What do you mean Lilly?"

"Zeke wanted to test Sharona, Elly, and Sally, to see if they'll be loyal to him by ordering them to blow up the dam!"

"WHAT?"

Lilly swallowed for a second to compose herself, "they refused and they were shot over the cliff…"

Millie stared in disbelief at Lilly.

"I ran as fast as I could, until I heard you were bickering with that young X-Law, so I assume it was something you did that made you get arrested-"

"Well perfect Lilly, just perfect," spat Millie sarcastically, tears welling in her eyes.

"Give it to the Lily 5 to go ruin everything! Maybe Sharona can finally shut up. Or Sally stop getting in trouble…and Elly to stop babying me…and you can stop being such a **COWARD**!"

Lilly only remained quiet amid Millie's sniffling. "I'm sorry but I might as well been dead myself, it would have been suicidal if I went against the whole crime gang. I'm not impulsive like you, I'm a practical person. I can't take on all of HAO by myself to rescue them, and maybe also I'm coward."

Millie started to bawl while Lilly looked on in a pained expression. Lilly sighed and slowly reached into Millie's backpack and pulled out her glasses. "You even brought them Millie," she continued softly, "I was in such a rush to stop Sharona from going through with her crazy plan that I forgot them, silly me."

Millie stopped sniffing, and looked up at Lilly. "So do you think they're dead?"

"I don't want to think about it at this moment, praise the world that I actually found you at least." Lilly help cut Millie's handcuffs with Elly's Talons.

"So are we running away?"

"We have no choice Millie! Right after they fell into the water, Zeke order his men to blow up the dam themselves!"

"Wow this man sure knows how to ruin my day, wait, did I hear you right?"

"Yes, we have to leave now! If not we'll all drown!"

Before Millie could react, she heard a click of a gun, and gun pointed at Lilly's head with an angry Lyserg.

"Just what the _hell_is going on?" seethe Lyserg.

"Lyserg! Please don't shoot! Lilly was only trying to save me!"

Lyserg still glared warily at Millie, but he lowered his gun. "I overheard what you girls were talking about…if that monster Zeke is indeed planning to blow up the dam, then I'll have to stop him."

"Don't be a hero," said Lilly, "it's best to save your skin X-Law."

"Lilly! Lyserg isn't an X-Law, he's just a detective for hire!"

"Forget it Millie," snapped Lyserg. "You two! Get to higher ground and warn everyone!"

"Look Lilly!" continued Millie defensively. "Lyserg was suppose to come an arrest me for the riot, and well he saved my life during the chase..."

"Look I'll let you guys go for now, honestly I have bigger things to deal with now..."

Lilly ran with Onibi in her arms, Millie soon following with her knapsack.

"Take care than Capitol breed, we Slums don't like owning a debt that becomes unpaid," said Lilly before she ran through the street. Millie gave Lyserg a worried look before following Lilly.

Lyserg let out an angry sigh, and pulled out his cell phone, calling Yoh.

"Yoh, tell the Rebels to evacuate everyone in the Slums to higher ground…. yes this isn't some joke! The HAO are planning to blow up the giant dam any minute now!"

Lyserg closed of the phone and broke into a run towards the dam that lies south of the Slums.

* * *

Lilly was standing near the top of the building, huddled with other people from the Slums. It was amazing how fast the Rebels were able to organize the Slums; then again survival was key in the Slums anyways.

Lilly prayed that Sharona and the others were okay, she was scared and bracing for the worst, but then again they do have a knack to survive in odd conditions. Lilly looked back at Onibi who was frantically scratching and struggling in her arms.

"Onibi, what's the matter?"

She looked at where Millie was standing, and saw an old lady next to her instead.

"Millie?" she cried.

Frantically she scan the crowds, Millie usually doesn't get lost, unless she actually went back to the…oh no she was probably hoping to save her friends and that boy…

Lilly cried out and ran through the crowd, only to be restrained by a couple of Rebels.

"You can't go back down to the lower parts of the Slum miss!"

Lilly struggled and fought; only to fall back, defeated.

'_Millie, you idiot!'_

* * *

Lyserg ran up to the side of the ruins, but he felt that someone was following him. Quickly he turned around, gun aimed at his stalker.

"Ahh! Don't shoot me Lyserg! It's me, Millie!"

Lyserg lowered his gun warily, "Only the X-Laws carry loaded guns, Millie. Why are you doing here anyways?"

Millie stuttered, "I want to s-save my friends, they can still be alive you know! Plus how can you stand up against Zeke if the gun isn't even loaded?"

Lyserg sighed, "Look Millie, I doubt your friends are alive and even if they are they'll probably spend the rest of their lives in jail for working for the enemies."

"You heard what Lilly said about them!"

"True, but even Lilly could be making it up, regardless they had full intentions of joining and probably would be classified as criminals."

Millie stared in disbelief of the coldness in Lyserg' voice. "I don't care, you can't tell me what to do Lyserg! They are my friends, and I care about them, sure they're a pain sometimes, but they would do the same for me!"

Millie was huffing in frustration before she continued. "Also, I was worried about you…I know you were sent to arrest me an hour ago, but you saved my life back there…and I don't like being in debt with someone!"

Lyserg took in that information carefully, "you know you'll be in more trouble than help."

"I don't care, I'm saving my friends, or at least finding them-!"

Lyserg ignored Millie and ran up the path that leads to the dam.

"Hey wait up!"

* * *

"Explosives are ready sir."

"Hmmm good," smiled Zeke, "time to purify this land once in for all!"

The bombs were all rigged on either side of the gigantic dam, before they were set off.

The explosion became deafening just as Millie and Lyserg reached the top.

It blew off chunks of concrete that came smashing down onto the wasteland, dark water gushing out, with the sides of the dam gone, the rest of the dam became weak. Threatening to collapse in any second.

"Zeke!" cried Lyserg, angrily he realized that Zeke was on the other side, he pulled out his pendulum and shot it directly at the insane man.

It wasn't an ordinary crystal pendulum, but sharp enough to stab though metal, a magic item that can be used to fight.

Zeke smirked and threw up his palm, the sharp crystal embedded deep into his hand.

Lyserg only stared in disbelief.

"My Lyserg, how very good to see you today, just when I completed my act. It's a shame really."

"Cut the formalities Zeke!"

Zeke chuckled. "Of course! Always so coarse in the end eh? I wonder…how long does the crystal string go?"

With that he grabbed the crystal with his other hand and yanked it from his bleeding palm to both Millie's and Lyserg's shock.

Still grinning amid the deafening flooding, he jerked the cord that is connecting to the Lyserg's gauntlet contraption, pulling Lyserg with him.

Millie cried out in shock as Lyserg also plummeted deep into the reservoir, the current quickly taking him toward the crumbling dam.

"Lyserg!"

"Oops, my hand slipped," smiled Zeke as he turned off and calmly walked out with his men on the other side.

Millie screamed in frustration before contemplating on whether she should jump in or not.

Impulsive as ever, Millie decided to jump into the dam.

* * *

Author's Note:

Cliffhangers are fun to write, not fun to read :)

Okay, whew done, ouch my hand :P I'm trying to make it as less AU with the whole spirit concept added, but it's kind of going no where, so it might be pushed to the side. It's based on Shaman King episode 29 dubbed by the way. :P Final one right when school starts too :/

So there won't be much going on during this time, I wish I actually had more time in the summer to write stories, but I kept on getting distracted...And now school has started...even though I like within 25 min drive to home, I feel so scared and nervous, then again that could just be my personality...

Ugh angst sucks. Everything was so different last year, and now I feel so dumb compared to everyone else now, it's so frustrating sometimes! (Curse my anxiety problems. I tend to over worry in a lot of things which isn't healthy at all.) I don't want to feel miserable but I think it always comes around fall, my most hated season. Fall to me is when everything dies, summer is gone, and it starts to get cold and dark easily. Winter is crappy too, but the holidays like Christmas, New Year, and Valentine brighten the mood...

Sorry for the rant but I do feel really upset even though I can come home on the weekends, school is just scary and nerve-wracking on me :( I'm not antisocial just a stressor maybe I should see a couselor...)

It just feels better to pour my emotions onto here, never mind if strangers read it, it makes me less anxious. Classes would be starting and I don't even know how the classes work...everyone has so much effort thrown on me, and I'm scared to let them all down, and myself. School really doesn't care anymore about it's students, they expect us to act like adults, but that's not the way I'm wired to think. You can probably see that in my next chapter probably coming out in break.

Sorry my invisible readers for that rant, most of the story was typed during summer vacation, and when school started I became really busy with stuff.

I love all of you because I can be myself in my writing! Maybe Circle 2 or Circle 4 might have to take over, (my unproductive staff .) So be expected to see D-grayman fics popping in :P

Love,

Wuchen


	5. Good from Bad

**Disclaimer: We don't own Shaman King, all rights and ideas belong to their rightful owners. So don't sue!**

**YAHOO 1 Review! This day is looking good for this fic. **

_"We seek the truth and will endure the consequences."_

_~Charles Seymour_

* * *

The feeling of cold water, surprisingly icy, stabs Millie as she hits it. Choking, she popped up and gasped, arms frantically failing around as she swam against the rushing currents, trying her best to stay afloat amid the crumbling of the dam. Once that dam collapses, she would be sucked into the vortex of the water.

She struggled as she looked for Lyserg.

"LYSERG!" she screamed and choked. Another explosion is heard.

Waves of water send her tumbling underneath, her world suddenly becoming dark, and calm.

Millie struggled to regain her senses, her arms failing as she is pulled under the sucking current. But underneath all that rushing water, she felt tired, almost sleepy. It felt refreshing if she ignored that her lungs were going to burst, the darkness and serenity underwater.

'_Darn it Millie, snap out of it!'_ she told herself as she started to swim up. She kept on swimming, but she felt a dreading feeling that she wasn't going to make it. She furiously plowed forward; kicking her legs like her life depended on it. _It did depend on it._

'_Urgh, I'm not going to make it!' _she choked, and started to fail around, feeling the oxygen leave in bubbles around her. The confusion of the waves sends her struggling to determine which place takes her up to the air. She swam furiously up, bursting out with a choking gasp andthen letting out a cry as she was knocked over again. She struggled but felt her conscious fading…

'_Guys, __I'm so sorry,' she told herself as she stopped swimming and slowly started to drift deeper into the murky abyss._

_'This isn't so bad...at least I tried...oh look a cute guy is even swimming towards me!' _she told herself halfheartly.

A sudden strong arm wrapped around her waist and started to pull her up as she faded into the dark oblivion.

* * *

Millie woke up choking and spitting out copious amounts of filthy water.

She was on a side ledge with an equally soaked Lyserg coughing too.

Millie just glance at the knelling Lyserg after a minute of gasping. "Did you just saved me?"

Lyserg ignored her and stood up quickly. He then started to climb up the ledge, which would take him back onto the path they were originally at.

"Lyserg, wait!" called Millie frantically; she stood up and fell back down in frustration.

He stopped. "Can you move?" asked Lyserg.

Millie looked down. "Yeah after a while maybe, but I still feel really lightheaded…"

"Good, stay where you're at."

Millie looked up in shock at Lyserg, only to see him disappear over the ledge. Millie felt a wave of frustration overtake her, not only were her friends probably dead, she had to be so weak!

Millie knew Lyserg was probably going to try and somehow stop the dam from collapsing, but it was futile at this point, so why would he leave?

Millie shook her head in confusion. She started to stand up but felt something holding her left arm back. She glanced over to realize that her hand was handcuffed. Again.

Millie let out an angry sigh, and yelled out at the cliffs. "Lyserg! I can help you, don't think that handcuffing me to a fence would do any good!"

* * *

Millie began to tug her self against the old chain link fence that runs to the side of the cliffs. When it wouldn't budge she looked around for something sharp to bring on impact and hopefully shatter it. Millie noticed something coming up to her way so she froze.

It sounded like light footsteps and snuffling. Millie stayed as still as possible, it could be one of the many giant monsters that roam around at the wastelands…and to die eaten wouldn't be the best death that she bargains for.

The steps stopped near the top of the cliffs, Millie held her breath anticipating something…only to see Onibi's face pop out.

Millie let out a relieved sigh, followed by Onibi's happy yips.

"Onibi! You scared me for a second! How did you find me and escape Lilly?" breathed Millie.

Onibi yipped something intelligible before jumping nimbly down, leaping from rock to rock with ease and grace. He stopped at the base and sniffed at the chain link fence that separates Millie and him.

"Hey, Onibi, do you think you can try knowing on these handcuffs or something?"

Onibi cocked his fluffy head to one side.

Millie gave another sigh, "I guess there's no point in trying to reason with a fire fox…I heard you can give magical powers to people…but I guess that's only in legends…"

Onibi responded with a happy yip and started to gnaw on her handcuffs.

"Onibi, it won't do any good," sniffed Millie, as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She angrily wipes them with her free hand and gave the cuffs another yank.

She felt back at the force of her tug. Shock registered in her face.

"How…did that happen?"

She took the broken end of the handcuffs and looked at it up close. The end was glowing red, heated up to a point that the metal would have become weak and flexible. She observes it curiously before it quickly cooled down and turned back into a silver-black color.

She glanced back at Onibi, but the fox only gave a happy wave of his bushy tail.

"Umm…" started Millie hesitantly as she stood up, "come on Onibi, lets go look for the Lily 5 first."

* * *

Lyserg felt a little worried about Millie, but concluded she'll be safe until the authorities come and deal with her.

He was running past the edge of the dam hoping to look for help, before he spotted a group of people dressed in white standing on the brigde bypass that overlooks the crumbling dam.

They couldn't be with HAO so he assumed it was safe to approach them.

When Lyserg came up to them, he saw that they were a group of X-Laws…probably top commanders too from their uniforms.

"Commanders!" said Lyserg as he approaches them. "Youhave to leave the scene now, the dam is threatening to collapse any second now, which can pose a danger for all of us!"

The top chief, Marco walked out of the group and approached Lyserg.

"You must be that private detective that runs the Diethel private eye..." said the blond man.

Lyserg looked warily at Marco, he heard of Marco, often seen him walking in parades and giving speeches to armies...but up close the man seemed even more intimidating. Remembering that the X-Laws had intentions of recruiting him, he ignored the nagging thoughts that were building in his mind.

"Yes I am, Commander Marco."

"Lyserg," Marco drawled out slowly, "I find it hard to comprehend that you wouldn't take part in such an atrocious act of defilement towards our country…" Marco eyes glowed with anger and coldness as he survey Lyserg with contempt.

"Of course not!" he protests furiously. "I was only a witness…and we had already evacuated the main part of the Slums by now…Zeke was responsible for this act of terrorism!"

"Oh I know that!" snapped Marco. "What's repulsive about **you **is that you had to turn to the **Rebels **as help instead of your own Government, the X-Laws. Those conniving scum are mere allies of the Destruction..."

Lyserg stared at him is shock at Marco's apathy towards what was actually going on. A thought of how Yoh and Tobais once said that the Government runs the country and the X-Laws protect it is merely a sham ran through Lyserg's mind again. Was it true that the Government was merely a puppet of the puppetmasters? Lyserg's conflicting confusion was only the tip of the inner turmoil threatening to spill.

Once Marco finished his rant, the dam collapsed entirely, sending in a torrent of floodwaters behind Marco.

Lyserg still stared in shock at as Marco glanced behind him at the flooding before leaning back and delivering a punch to his face.

Lyserg fell back, stunned, before Marco continued calmly. "It doesn't matter if Zeke destroyed the dam…it just adds to one more atrocity that the madman committed, such an attack would cripple the city in fear…and allow the X-Laws to gain more support for our purification of the Evil."

"What in the world are you talking about!" spat Lyserg angrily as he staggered up again.

Marco smiled, "I know what pain you are feeling Lyserg, the death of all those people that Zeke has killed, the corruption that he created with all the illegal trade, the love ones he took from you."

Lyserg knew his anger wasn't directed toward Marco or the X-Laws but towards Zeke, but he still wasn't getting what Marco was saying.

"The flood would be a good thing in the end," continued Marco lightly. "If people were truly innocent, they would be protected by the Lady, and if they weren't then they would be purified before they died."

Shock registered again in Lyserg's face before Marco continued.

"This is good in the name of this holy war against the true Evil."

"Evil?" whispered Lyserg.

Marco smiled spread. "Yes, there is evil but true Evil has a name, and that name is Zeke."

* * *

Millie and Onibi were running when the **entire** dam collapsed finally.

"Eeek!" she cried as she covered her ears amid the deafening breaking of the concrete dam.

She looked on in horror at the flood wreck havoc amid the Slums. What were originally tiny gray buildings in her eyes became a rushing river. She looked on past the low outcrop of the gray Slums that surround the shining Capitol.

From here the Capitol looks like a shining metropolis, like some god's kingdom, as the water surrounded it. The Capitol has a high-elevated foundation, surrounded by many walls…so it would be unlikely to suffer any damage at all from this flood.

The only thing that remained from the Slums are the tiny buildings that were tall enough to not receive the water. She prayed that Lilly and the rest of the Slum evacuees were in one of those buildings.

Millie slumped down in horror at the mess Zeke has created.

She felt both angry and disgusted at what she had just witnessed. But quickly composed herself and started to make her way down towards the dam. She watched in anger as the giant flood transformed into a river, the great dam now diminished. She climbed over ledges slowly, until she reached the now flowing river.

Before the dam was built the river flowed with vigor through the entire city, but with the dam it became almost a trickle. Millie recalled hating the dam when she was younger, hoping someday it would be gone so that the river can flow like it did before and provided drinkable water for her people, and not energy to the Capitol.

Never did she think it would cause the opposite.

* * *

After a couple of minutes, Millie had the courage to climb into the dam, and hope to at least find her friends. She carefully walked down the side of the hill, stopping at the edge of the empty dam, before climbing down it.

The sides of the dam were slippery with wet mud as she slides down into the empty canyon that once held all the water.

Millie stumbled a bit, landing on her face deep in the mud.

Onibi eagerly ran after her, lightly plowing his feet into the mud, leaving delicate footprints behind.

A sudden hand reached grabbed Millie's arm, sending her screaming in shock.

"Ahhh! Let's go of me you monster!"

"Idiot! Millie, it's me Elly!"

Millie stopped screaming and glanced up to a drenched and very dirty Elly. Elly gave Millie a grin before coughing out water herself. Elly then quickly wiped off the mud from her face.

"Elly!" cried Millie as she hugged Elly. "Oh my gosh, are you okay? What about Sharona and Sally?"

"They're alright, we were blasted into the water, but Sally and me can swim, so we dragged the hysteric Sharona onto a near by ledge…I was surprised to see you though."

"You're the idiot! Lilly and me were so worried about you guys! What happened? How did you guys survived?"

Elly gave another cough and grimace. "Barely of course."

Millie felt the tears welling up in her eyes, but she pushed them aside. "Elly, did you know this would of happen to the Slums?" She angrily pointed to the flooded wastelands of their home.

Elly shook her head and gave a sad look. "No, if I did I wouldn't have gone…we just followed Sharona."

"Why? She could be the one to be blamed for almost getting us killed, and drowning half the city!"

Elly winced at Millie's comment. "I know Sharona isn't the most brightest person, but she's our leader. And we weren't responsible for the bombing, we had intentions to join Zeke on the idea that it would improve our lives and reputation…we were wrong I guess."

"No duh you guys mess up big time," spat Millie acidly. "I almost got burned, squashed, shot, and drowned because you idiots wouldn't even tell me where you went, if you guys thought we were a team, then where was my part in this conspiracy?"

"You know it was dangerous an-"

"Dangerous!" screamed Millie. "I'm not sure I understand that last part, you knew it was _dangerous to deal with Zeke_, and yet you guys went anyways!"

"We were just being cautious, we're in a lot more debt than we let you know, and we thought by sacrificing the Lily 5 temporary…and joining with HAO would be best…"

**"YOU GUYS WERE THINKING ABOUT DISBANDING!" **cried Millie in disbelief.

Elly didn't even try to hide her shame. "Yes, we didn't want to tell you Millie because you'll be able to do something about it."

"What about Lilly?"

"Lilly didn't want any part in dealing with Zeke, she would of been taking care of you in some rented apartment while we worked for Zeke. Or at least that was our original plan..."

"You guys are stupid, you know that once you work for Zeke it's life right? He would hate it if you left him and back to create a potential rival gang. Plus I can take perfectly care of myself, I'm not some baby!"

"I know…sometimes you're too smart for your own good." Elly gave a bitter sigh in defeat and glanced away from Millie.

"Tell me your true motive Elly, Sharona may believe that, and Sally just goes for whatever Sharona does, but you're too smart to go for it…"

Elly ignored the tears that filled her eyes as she glared back at Millie. "I give up, that's why! Don't you see Millie? This life that we're living has no hope, everyday seeing torture, filth, and misery! I doubt the Rebels would put up much to help the people and I had my hopes that by joining HAO we would get things done in this horrible world!"

Before Millie could say something, Elly interrupted her again.

"But I was wrong! Zeke is no better than the X-Laws, he's probably worse! You see all of this? Zeke caused it, but I'll always feel that guilt of playing a part in the dam!" sobbed Elly.

While Elly cried, Millie hestiantly approached her.

Elly, who was the big sister she never had, the tomboy of the gang, and the tough girl who saved Millie all the time. The one who found her during the great Famine, and took her in. Elly, who flirted, laughed, swore, and sang. Here, trembling and crying her heart out at the pain and guilt she burdened.

Sharona may have created this confident aura, Sally a cold one, but Elly was caring.  
All three, Millie realized, was set on a gamble, a false hope that they can strike it lucky, and save their gang. All three had different reasons for deciding to join Zeke, and all three knew it was a risk.

Millie hugged Elly from behind; Elly suddenly seemed older and younger at the same time. The Slums takes its toll on the people, the drugs, the sadness, and the oppression. She weighed a lot but never showed it.

All of them did.

"I'm sorry Millie," whispered Elly hoarsely.

"It's okay…this world can be really cruel, sometimes you feel like even with friends and family you're alone alone in the end. You were tricked by the power and greed that the HAO and Zeke had...and you hoped you can use some of that to end your suffering, our's, and this city.  
You did the right thing about refusing to blow up the dam, we had the Rebels evacuate a majority of the citizens I believe. Besides the Slum people are tough people."

A look of relief flooded though Elly; she stood up and hugged Millie back.

"I'm sorry Elly too," sniffed Millie. "For yelling at you even though I should have been happy to see you alive…"

"It's okay Millie, sometimes you're such a baby, but other times you act along older..."

Millie sighed, and continued.

"I have a question Elly, and answer it honestly."

"Okay."

"If you were to go back to that cliff with Zeke, would you have done the same thing again?"

"Yes," replied Elly instantaneously. "We aren't evil people, stupid, yes. We only want a better life, but we still have compassion and a soul. And sanity."

"Elly?"

"Yes?"

"I knew you would have said that."

* * *

Ahh, I know a rather depressing chapter! I don't like actually writing sad angst stuff because as beautiful as that stuff can be, it's sad. And I believe the world has too much sad and bad stuff already, so there.

Also deep long conversations can be a bit boring to read and write but I have to add in detail and practical actions for the characters. No point in jumping from, "Hey you're okay, to now let's go!" Only the dense or lazy people react like that or one's lacking empathy. And on the Capitol dam...think of the Hoover dam...yeah that's pretty much what's its base off.

I have no experience in writing romance as of course this is a Millie x Lyserg fic, so I'll have to watch a few episodes to get in the mood or inspiration. When I have time. =.= On another note, I know my grammar isn't perfect, I realize that no matter how much you re-read and check, there will always be that one mistake that appears. It doesn't mean that I'll be sloppy in my writing though, I just won't be perfect. Another note, quotes are nice, but sometimes they don't really have a dead meaning to the story so don't try to ponder over it excessively XP

School is still bashing me, but I'm pacing it out, and trying to procrastinate less. XP I was surprise given the time to finish this was actually meant for break, but I guess my passion for this overrides the math homework I have due tomorrow XD Tests will be next week, so I'll be prepared to take a hit .

Thank you to **Cronomon** for that 1 review =)

All I need is just one to keep on going…like that one famous quote says  
"There are billions of people in this world, and all you need is just one." So thanks :D

I'll just go with my flow in the story; I have a plot that keeps bouncing back and forth so it might take some time to develop…Also I'm surprised that some people found the characters actually in character. Yay! Though to be sure it's still an AU so people out of character will be inevitable someday. =3 I'm thinking about also adding a mini chapter of each of the Lily 5's backgrounds, their past life in order to further develop the AU and their character.

Someone named Hey also review, but I know who that person is...thanks circle 3!

Love,

Wuchen

Circle 1


	6. Losing some & Gaining others

**Hello again, it's been a while, about a year but it seems like the only time I am able to continue my writing is during the summer, and even then it's such a hassle. **

**Well onto the story, if there is some inconsistency, apologies ahead of time X/**

* * *

_The disappointment of losing is huge. - Jack Youngblood_

* * *

Millie and Elly trudge on through the muddy wasteland, her own heart feeling painfully bittersweet. Onibi had decided to scamper ahead of them, given that they were in familiar territory and Onibi probably wanted to go home. If a home exist that is.

They didn't walk far before guards soon swarmed around them.

"In the name of the X-Laws and the Capitol, you two are a danger to our society for the involvement the HAO attack! Please come with us quietly and no harm will come-"

"Like I'll ever believe in those lies!" snapped Elly, as she felt a guard handcuff her. She struggled and started to curse.

"Elly," whispered Millie, "please...just stop," as the guard tugged Millie away.

Elly continued to fight before she was knocked down by the captain.

Hitting the ground, she spat out some mud and glared up before being dragged by her knees away.

* * *

Prison was as dank and miserable as Sally had described, so why should Millie be surprise at the condition they were in?

Millie looked up and plugged her ears to avert hearing Elly's screams as the guards torture her. They have been here for hours, and she hated it. She was too tried to even cry anymore.

Elly was finally thrown back with Millie.

"That will teach you to try to fight with us lady," sneered one soldier.

"Keep it up and we'll have to ruin your pretty little face too," laughed the other. The two soldiers then left laughing.

"Elly?" whispered Millie as she crawled to her friend. Elly was gasping but standing up.

"I'm fine Millie," she replied coldly.

"But your back is bleeding..."

"So, it's not like it hasn't happened before."

Silence fell between them, only the sound of tortured interrupting it.

"I wonder if Sharona and Sally are doing okay."

"Let's hope they are..." muttered Elly. "Millie...how many days have we been here?"

"I...don't know, I think only a couple days."

Elly chuckled and leaned back against the cold prison wall, "Millie...if I don't live-"

"Don't say that!" Millie snapped furiously, "I won't forgive you if you d-did...I already know."

The sudden sound of the prison door opening made both girls turn around, and look with aprehension at their visitor.

Standing in front of them was the captain of the X-Laws, Marco.

Millie and Elly both glared at the tall blond man, while Marco gave them a disdainful look.

"Come with me," he spoke, his voice cold and hard.

"Where is Sharona and Sally?" asked Millie bravely. Marco gave her a steely glare. "_Come_."

Elly and Millie decided that it was best to not further aggravate Marco so they stood up and followed him obedienty,

They passed by other miserable prisons, filled with people in pain and sadness, hands reaching out desparately as if their life depends on it.

"Sinful," muttered Marco with disgust.

Millie noticed that Elly was clenching her teeth at Marco's comment.

They traveled through a dimly lite corridor until them reached a room with wooden chairs, and a desk. there were a lot of people in the room. A middle aged man, sitting in the desk, a couple uniformed X-Laws, and to her surprise Lyserg.

If Lyserg knew Millie, he sure didn't show it. His face remained stoic like the rest.

"Sit," commanded Marco curtly.

Both girls sat down.

"We have the police chief of the capital Tobais Locke here before you. Your crimes are conspiracy against the Capital, treason, destruction of justice and peace, arson, (Millie flinched at that word, Tilda did rant them out after all) attacking soldiers, associating with HAO, and stealing."

Tobais gave a bitter sigh, "I must say the worst bunch of females yet. You two know the law for such crimes? Death or imprisonment forever-"

"Tobais," interrupted Marco. "You forgot about repentance."

Tobais looked slightly annoyed but nodded.

Millie only looked down, her whole body shaking, "I'm-I'm sorry-"

"Don't Millie," snapped Elly angrily. She glared at Tobais and Marco coldly, "It was all of my fault, don't place any blame on her. I forced her to do everything, she wasn't even there when the dam broke, but I was."

"Ahh, taking the blame I see," smiled Marco, he quickly pulled out his revolver and placed it against Millie's head.

The rest that followed was chaotic. Millie froze stillm while Elly was slammed by the other X-Laws as she attempted to attack Marco.

"You son of a bit-" the rest was cut off by Marco slapping her in the face.

"Elly!" cried Millie.

"Silence sinner," ordered Marco as he placed the gun on Millie's head again.

"Now, tell us the truth Elly, repent for this child's sins if you must."

Millie's eyes was begging Lyserg now, but Lyserg still remain stoic. Tobais on the other hand had a pained look, and was struggling to not let his own emotions show as the scene unfolded.

"No?" Well-"

"She's innocent," declared Lyserg as he stood up, his face still not showing any emotion. "She was never there at the time of the explosion, in fact she even tried to help me."

Marco lowered his gun and glanced dangerously at Lyserg, "Are you telling the truth, Lyserg?"

"Yes."

"What about this Elly?"

Millie tensed up, hoping he'll save Elly too.

"I don't think so."

Marco smirked. "Good, then take the little girl away away guards. I'll interrogated the guilty sinner myself."

"Elly!" she cried and struggled, the guards merely roughly hauled her off and continued to drag her through the corridors until she saw sunlight.

The tossed her right out of the prison entrance, she landed on the ground.

"Stay out, if you know what's good for you!"

Millie glared resentfully back and the cold men in white, before staggering up. She wanted to run back, but she knew it was unlikely she'll get far.

She was about to say something when she felt someone grabbed her hand.

She turned around to see Lilly in front of her, relief in her face.

"Lilly?"

"Come on Millie, let's get out." Lilly never looked so disarray in her life. Millie didn't even feel like arguing, so she let Lilly take her away. She couldn't help but glance back at the formible prison with pain, Elly was still in there and probably being tortured...but Millie felt so hopeless at her situation to really do something. She felt Lilly squeeze her hand, and notice that tears were pouring down her face as they walked away from the building, past the streets, and into the ruined Slums.

Life seems so horrible for her at the moment. She hated the X-Laws and HAO for ruining her life, their life. But most of all she hated herself for being so pathetic and weak.

* * *

They stayed at a miserable damp shelter with the other homeless Slum people. Millie sat silently while Lilly tended to her wounds.

"It's a good thing the guards didn't torture you...it could of been a lot worse," stated Lilly quietly as she bounded Millie's ankle.

"Lilly...what's going to happen to Elly?" Millie's voice sounded hollow.

Lilly paused. "I don't know."

"I-I don't think I can stand this anymore," she whispered, her voice bordering fear and a breakdown.

Lilly stared back at Millie. "We will make it through."

Millie sighed, and got up. "I'm going out. I need to look for Onibi." Lilly looked uncertain on whether to stop Millie, but concluded that Millie would be alright. She did made it in one piece after all.

She ran through the Slums, water sloshing as people ferry on makeshift boats, she climbed up on a side railing, and started to jump from roof to roof.

"ONIBI!" she cried out. Panting she continued to yell out into the Slums. Her voice echoing through the despair.

* * *

Lyserg sighed as he laid down on his bed, it had been a few weeks since the interrogation with the female thief group, but he still felt this odd sense of guilt. The job of a detective is to follow a case presented to him, and he done that, but working as detective feels unsatisfying to say the least. He was within the grasp fo Zeke at the dam incident only to let it slip.

"Zeke," he muttered to himself bitterly.

Marco of the X-Laws wants Lyserg to join so badly that it even chills Lyserg. But why? Did the X-Laws really offer him the potential of seeing Zeke dead. Zeke is a manipulative criminal boss, not some demon, but maybe perhaps the X-Laws are right...maybe Zeke is the embodiment of evil, after all wherever Zeke goes, death and destruction follows.

Lyserg sighed, he doesn't follow the X-Laws' philosophy but it is very appealing. And there is the Rebels, Lyserg frowned on them. They mean good, but without brute force and true disipline they are incapable of taking downt the HAO or offering reform towards the X-Laws.

"I just do know what to do now," he told himself in frustation. The thought of Millie oddly popped in his head. The raw guilt was still there after all the events, even though she was a criminal she view her group of female misfits as her family. Oddly Lyserg felt that he held some responsiblity for the breaking of her group.

Maybe it was the fact that she tried to aid him at the dam, maybe that was what vouched him to appeal in her defense during interrogation. Whatever the case it may be, hopefully she'll find some help and be safe.

* * *

Days went by to weeks, Millie felt part of herself was floating in oblivion as she started her day searching for her friends and Onibi.

She would get up and eat with Lilly and the rest of the Slum people only to comeback at night. Chaos was reigning through, people were being dragged out of their homes and shot by the X-Laws and HAO right and left. In a way neither side was safe. It's a miracle how the government is able to hide and ignore such blantant corruption and chaos.

Lilly considered joining the Rebels, the only side that seemed sane, but Millie felt distrustful of anything and anyone.

"Are you sure Lilly?"

"Yes, please Millie, some of us refugees are considering it, it seems sensible if we should seek help from Yoh and his Rebels."

"I don't care if the Rebels are helping with the disaster, or that they are launching attacks against HAO and the X-Laws...I just don't want to keep believing anymore...everyone is gone."

Lilly bit her lip, her eyes turning steely behind her glasses. "This is unlike you Millie. Very unlike you. Aren't you the one that's always having hope and a smile."

Millie stubbornly shook her head to deny it.

Lilly ignored her and continued, "I believe in you Millie, and I believe in the Rebels, please Millie don't lose hope."

Millie took in what Lilly said, her thoughts and guilt over what happen within the last month seemed to slightly fade in the back of her mind. She concluded that no matter what, she will find everyone, and rescue Elly.

Millie gave Lilly a small smile, which brought relief to Lilly's eyes.

The sudden knocking of the door and the frantic scrambling of refugees told them that something was wrong.

"In the name of the government, we are placing all of you under arrest for illegal camping!" came a booming voice behind the barred door.

"We would have housing if your government provided it!" yelled one bitter refugee.

"Silence!" barked the leader of the group of soldiers on the other side. "Showing any signs of hostility will require us to shoot! We'll give you 3 seconds to prepare yourself."

Millie felt her hand being tugged by Lilly.

"Millie," Lilly whispered, "it's time for you to go."

"What!"

The banging of the door was evident that the X-Laws would barge in and arrest everyone soon.

"I don't want to..."

"One."

"You must, you can fit through the small window...you're tiny enough."

"Two!"

"But I...don't know where to go..."

"Please Millie, go anywhere, anywhere from this wretched place."

"THREE!"

A horrible crunching sound can be heard, followed by screams of panicking people. Before Millie could react, Lilly grabbed her, open the tiny window, and tossed her out.

Millie cried out in shock as she hit the roof of the building, before tumbling down and landing in a pile of garbage.

She glanced back to the window, Lilly was peeking out before giving Millie a sad smile and disappearing back inside.

Millie didn't want to hear the sound of her fellow Slums and Lilly being taken away so she bolted. She ran while wiping the tears that fell from her face. She realize that she was alone.

Elly and Lilly are captured. Sharona and Sally are missing, and probably either jailed or dead. She never thought that the four girls that been in her life, that had always provided her security and friendship are gone within these few days...

She collapsed in the dark alley, trembling in the realization that she was alone, once part of the thief band known as the Lily 5, now nothing but just plain Millie.

She found a cardboard box, that seemed big enough to fit in, so she crawled in. Curling up, she prayed that this was simply all a bad dream and she'll wake up from it.

* * *

It didn't happen that way of course, but she woke up with something pleasant that made her day more hopeful.

"Yip!" barked Onibi, her fiery little fox.

"Onibi!" Millie cried out in surprise, rubbing her eyes she scrambled out and grabbed the fox, hugging it for her dear life. "Onibi! You scared me so much!"

She heard a light chuckle so she looked up from her embarrassing position, smiling in front of her was a young man.

He was a few years older than her, but he had kind eyes, though something about his features told her that he contained an unprecedented amount of spirit energy.

"Thank you for finding Onibi," she whispered softly.

The young man laughed again, and reached out a hand to help Millie up. She hesitated, but something was calm and assuring about the young man made her reach out.

"A little girl like you shouldn't be outside like this, do you have anywhere to go?" he asked.

She glared slightly, "I'm not a little girl, I'm almost thirteen! And why should I trust you, you're not one of those creeps or a X-Law are you?"

He chuckled. "No, I'm neither I guess, though some of my friends do call me creepy at times...anyways do you have a place to go?"

Millie bit her lip, maybe it was the fact that she hadn't spoken to anyone so nice in a while, or maybe it was the fact that Onibi had been brought back, or maybe she was just too overloaded to think clearly. Regardless, she shook her head to him, and started to cry.

The young man gave her a sad smile, and took her hand. "Don't worry little girl, I'll take you somewhere safe."

She sniffed and wiped her eyes, "I'm Millie by the way."

He smiled, "and my name is Yoh, leader of the Rebels."

She stiffen up, but allowed him to lead her through the maze of the ruined Slums. He lead her to a part that even she was unfamiliar with. She would usually never go with strangers but since Onibi trusts him, and the fact that she was more than capable of defending herself, she resolve that Yoh was safe. Besides unlike Marco's spirit energy, she senses no malice in Yoh's.

"You look familiar Yoh...aren't you the leader of the Rebels? And a friend of Ryu?"

Yoh nodded, "Seeing that you know Ryu, are you the Millie he likes to talk about?"

Millie turned red at Ryu's acknowledgment and nodded, "he probably says weird stuff about me, didn't he?"

"Nah, just that you really like you friends, and that you were a good person at heart."

Yoh said it so casually, that Millie gave him a funny look. "Seriously? Are you lying?"

Yoh gave a chuckle. "Honest."

Millie grinned, the first time in a while. Something about Yoh puts her at ease, she feels like she can put down her guard when she was around him.

"By the way, how did you find Onibi?"

Onibi perked at being called and yipped with enthusiasm. Yoh smiled, "ran into the poor little bugger a couple of days ago, I think Onibi was looking for you-"

"Yeah...I think you're right, that was when me and Elly got captured for interrogation..." she swallowed and became quiet again, the horrible memories flooding in.

Yoh nodded and continued, "Onibi started to follow me though...did you know Onibi is a fire fox?"

"Yes, but we have a past that goes beyond me just keeping an illegal magical creature Yoh. I view Onibi as my friend and companion."

Yoh said nothing else on the matter, and within a few more minutes they reached the headquarters of the Rebels.

* * *

**Author's Rant: Okay, I know there are probably some grammar mistakes too, but it's alright. This summer has been pretty bad so far, actually really bad, I just feel so down that I'm spending my time moping and reading fanfics :/ So might as well try to be a little productive. **


	7. Bonus Chapter: Sally

**Hey it's been a while guys! Sorry the delayed chapters, it's not like it's forgotten I guess it's more like a writer's block. And I have been busy with other stuff like school and my other fanfic. **

**But I decided to do a bonus chapter, each chapter on the Lilly 5 members. They tend to take place in their past, so I hope it doesn't confuse anyone.**

**No warnings, except a slight SallyxRen moment and some OC from Sally...I can't really write people with anger management :/ **

* * *

When Sally was young, she never talked much. She was the silent stoic type of girl. She lived in the Slums her whole life with no one else to really hold hands with.

Her mother and father were simple folks in Slum standards. Her father would come drunk at night and fight with her mother. And, her mother would lash out her frustration onto Sally.

Sally never would fight back though. It was common here. And her parents usually become fed up with her anyways. She just doesn't cry.

She would just stare straight ahead and do her job. Working at the factories all day and giving her savings to _them, _because she just didn't care.

_She just didn't care. That's why she never cries._

* * *

The Capitol.

That was something she had only heard of. Shining with wealth, a wide fence borders the Slums with the Capitol and she never mustered the courage to cross it.

But she heard that one can see the Capitol from above the bell tower at the town square.

So the day came when she felt determined to see it. She was eight years old when she decided to climb up the old bell tower and take a glimpse at the "thing she can never have."

She walked alone in the streets that night, her parents long gone from her life already. But she would always have that memory. The memory that took her breath away.

She remembered climbing up the dusty stairs, the sounds of crime and anger fading in the background as she kept her steady pace. She kept walking until it was only her and the sky. Pulling herself over the ledge at the very top, she held her breath. The wind was fierce that summer night, it's cool air lashing at her. Her scarlet hair whipped her face as she gave a final heave up to the top ledge. The grainy ledge scrapped her but she didn't care. She braced herself as she turned around to look at the horizon.

It was dark except for the Capitol, it's lights shinning so brightly that it took her breath away.

"Beautiful," she whispered, her voice lost in the howls of the wind.

The Capitol shone in a pure light that made her eyes water, the city lights twinkled at her, the tall buildings and bridges glittered and taunted her.

And she suddenly felt bitter. Angry that she climbed all the way to see this.

"I...can...never...have this," she slowly told herself. People from the factory already called Sally "dumb" and "slow," and now she felt that they were right. Why does she need to hope for such a thing?

"I will live in the Slums, and die in the Slums," she concluded hoarsely.

She decided to return that night with a more firm notion, that she was to stop fantasizing on such ideas of going to the Capitol. She could go there, but she won't. It was something she'll never have either way.

Even as she climbed down and returned back to the chaotic world of the Slums, she said nothing of that night.

Even as she returned to her days in the factory and fired after a scuffle with the X-Laws, she thought nothing at that night.

Even as she cut her hair in prison and was at the verge of crying, she never wished for a better life.

Even as Sharona found her and extended her hand in friendship, Sally never dreamed of that night.

It was gone, that one moment when she cried.

But as the years pass, Sally gained friends and the cold anger she felt slowly melted. They were female misfits but she didn't care. She was probably the worst out of all them, her jail record express a miracle on why she was still alive and walking.

Sally was the strongest if not most aggressive fighter. In a way, all her pent up anger of abuse and rejection was asserted onto anything that moved. Even if she was "friends" with Sharona, it wasn't until Millie, a little girl, joined their group that Sally forced herself more self control.

The bar that Sharona opened with all the money they stolen was her true home. She watched over it and threw out any seedy men that were getting too friendly with Elly.

It was a better life then her run ins with the law and at the factory.

* * *

"You're sort of cute," came a comment. Sally glanced down at the young man sitting in a single table. He wasn't from the X-Laws but looked too well dressed to be from the Slums. Was he a HAO member? She heard news from this organization, founded by a charismatic young man named Zeke. They were giving the Slums and the Capitol trouble.

"Are you from here?" she asked lightly.

He smirked, "I've been to the Slums a bit, but no."

She narrowed her cold eyes, "Capitol then?"

The young man rolled his eyes. "Oh course, where else?"

She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but she didn't care. She took the empty seat across from him and sat down.

"So what brings you here to the Lilly 5 bar?" she asked lightly. "Most come here for a cheap drink or some illegal magic dealings. I doubt you have that less of character to mingle with the likes of us."

He smirked again. "Oh how touching for you to think so highly of me, but I'm here to go visit a friend."

She didn't say anything, only taking in the young man's face. She never had a boyfriend but she was far from inexperienced to know that he was handsome.

He looked pleasant enough, black hair with peculiarly looking yellow eyes, he reminded her of a cat.

"You have funny looking hair," she commented.

He scoffed. "Any you about as fascinating of a personality as a brick."

"Thank you, bricks are red...like my hair."

He gave her a funny look. "You don't talk much do you?"

She shook her head, "Unless it involves me cussing at people or kicking someone's ass."

The young man chuckled, "I noticed that you have spirit energy, it's rare to see someone from here to have so much."

She glared at him. "Fascination with people like us?"

He shrugged slightly, "I'm like you, an ancient term to call us would be "shamans."

"I don't care," she replied monotonously. "I don't like you spreading your HAO ideals here."

He looked surprised, "HAO?" He threw back his head and laughed, Sally noted that it rung with a slight arrogant tone.

"_Please, _as if. We are fighting against them!"

Sally's calm face momentarily flickered in surprise, "X-Laws?"

The mysterious young man shook his head. "Have you ever heard of the Rebels?" Her silence told him she didn't. He smiled, "I have a friend named Yoh, his goal is to bring down HAO and the tyranny of the X-Laws...our group had started almost of few months ago, but we're slowly trying to find a way to infiltrate HAO."

Sally scoffed and the man scowled.

"Why do you want to infiltrate HAO? Why should you even care, Capitol breed?" muttered Sally.

He smiled. "Meet us up in one of the meetings, we meet by the underground bell tower tonight."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sally demanded in annoyance. She was suspicious of this young man and his openness to her. The man didn't answer her directly only getting up and placing money on the table. He started to walk out.

"This is stupid!" Sally hissed at him. "And...even if I go...how would I find you?" she questioned hesitantly as he started to exit.

"Tell them that Ren sent you," came a reply before the door swung closed.

Sally stood there like an idiot before clenching her fists. "As if I'll go."

* * *

That night, Sally sat in her room, debating if she should go. Obviously it could be a trap, something the X-Laws created to round up people. Or worse.

Sally sighed. She never felt this conflicted in her life. She was curious about this Ren. But, she reasoned that it would be stupid to trust this man, even if he saw something different in her...he was still a stranger.

She knew this was her chance for something, but she can't pinpoint what it is though. A chance to change her fate for better or worse.

"I'm happy here...I don't need to know anything else...I was born here and I will die here," she repeated her promise. "I won't wish for anything more...I don't want to try anything new..." she concluded.

Sally didn't go to the bell tower that night.

She sat in her bed for an hour before she realized that she was crying. Angrily she wiped the tears from her eyes, feeling sad that she probably missed an opportunity for something different.

She took a shaky breath and started to leave her room. By the time she walked into the Lilly 5's living area, she already put up her common stoic face. Sharona and Elly were bickering about something stupid. Lilly was reading a book, and Millie was playing with her pet fire fox.

Sally couln't help but smile silghtly.

"_Who need's a guy when I have this"_

* * *

_Even now as Sally sat in prison, her whole body aching from the beatings she didn't cry. Sharona on the other hand was creating a waterworks in front of the X-Laws after they were found. _

_Sally didn't have anything to say as they were thrown into prison. She sighed until she heard the prison door open. Elly was thrown in, she hit the ground and swore savagely before the door slammed her face._

"_Elly," came Sally's voice._

_Elly looked at Sally, but she didn't say anything. Elly only slumped down and sniffed._

_Sally didn't need to say anything on the matter, it was just nice to see someone again._

"_Where's Sharona?" asked Elly after moments of silence. _

"_I think she's still in with some X-Laws..."_

_Elly sighed, "You know we didn't do it, it was HAO, Zeke."_

_Sally gave an annoyed sigh, "I know that, but we were there...we wanted to join."_

_Elly swallowed, "I didn't really and I doubted you did."_

_Sally closed her eyes, her head was aching. "No, you're right I didn't. And we aren't at this point."_

_I wouldn't have things any other way...or do I?_

* * *

**Ugh, I don't really like it all this much, but I hope it offers something for the readers to digest on. I think that by the time this story is complete...it's gonna be one long mother-fudge. **

**I feel really frustrated that it feels like it's going no where, but that's common in my stories especially if I just write what comes into my head. I should plot it out more -_-**

**Anyways, sorry again for the delayed update. I will try to give this story a chance, though not in the near future.**

**-Wuchen**


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